


You Are My Sunshine

by cloudedhearts



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/F, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-24
Updated: 2016-07-23
Packaged: 2018-01-09 22:13:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 32
Words: 53,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1151403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cloudedhearts/pseuds/cloudedhearts
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The story of Emily's and JJ's friendship and how it evolved into something more... Emily and JJ are children/teenagers and will eventually go to college, but this story will not show them as adults. Also, I haven't decided yet if some of the other CM characters will appear. Might change Rating to Mature because of later chapters!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

Emily caressed the framed photograph with utter tenderness as a familiar burning invaded her eyes. Angrily, she wiped the moisture in them away with the same hand that had grazed the picture of her best friend seconds earlier. Her mother had not even allowed a proper going-away party, arguing that she could always talk to her friends over the phone. Friends, as in more than one, although she knew her twelve-year-old daughter only had one: Jennifer.

A pleasant warmth spread through Emily's stomach after she remembered their last encounter. Jen had given her a handwritten letter, a necklace with a blue semi-precious stone, a mixed tape with both their favorite songs, and lastly, a soft kiss on her right cheek. Emily had argued that Jennifer should keep the necklace because it suited the color of her eyes so well, but the blonde had insisted she wanted her best friend to have it.

At that moment, Elizabeth had called her daughter from inside the house, and Emily had quickly handed Jen a small package wrapped in red paper. In return, the blonde had smiled awkwardly before whispering a barely audible "goodbye". Emily had nodded though she had wanted to do so much more. Nevertheless, one look into Jennifer's eyes had been enough - They understood each other without words.

The dark-haired girl held the picture frame close to her chest and wrapped both arms around it. When Elizabeth Prentiss sat down next to her daughter fifteen minutes later, she found her sleeping peacefully, a small smile across her young face. The middle-aged woman smiled too; it was a smile that could've been considered warm, if the ambassador had ever taken enough interest in her child's emotional well-being to ask her about her feelings. Elizabeth sighed and devoted her attention to the newest "Vogue", just as the last sunrays sparkled through the window. She was certain Emily would love her new home.


	2. A New Beginning

**Four years later**

"How many times have I told you to stop that disgusting habit?"

"I'm sorry," the dark-haired girl apologized abashed and looked at her fingernails. "I'm just nervous."

"Well, don't be," Mrs. Prentiss said harshly. "It's not like you've never been in this town before."

Emily bit her lip and looked down; arguing with her mother was a waste of energy, so she kept quiet. She tried to focus on something else than the sudden pangs in her stomach, but failed altogether. Why was she so easily thrown off-balance? If she couldn't control her nervousness, there was no point in pursuing the career her parents had chosen for her - or any career, for that matter. She wiped the sweat from her hands, clenched them into fists, and closed her eyes. After three near breakdowns and constant swearing on her mother's part because of the traffic, the car finally came to a halt. Here it was: this was home for the next two years. It was an ancient, yet shiny Victorian house that had been her grandmother's until she had died three years ago. Knowing how much the older Prentiss hated to wait, Emily got out of the car. Her suitcases were already waiting on the sidewalk.

"Hurry!" Elizabeth Prentiss bawled at her. "I have to drive back to the airport."

"Yes, ma'am," the girl sighed.

"Don't call me ma'am, I am your mother."

"Yes, mother."

But Ambassador Prentiss was already at the house's door, frantically pushing the doorbell as if a pack of wolves was chasing her. It took not long for a butler in a dark suit to appear, looking just a tad irritated. Without exchanging any courtesies, Elizabeth handed him one of the suitcases and turned to her daughter.

"Emily, I want you to remember what we talked about on the plane," she said sternly. "Make your father and me proud. You are a Prentiss, after all. Never forget that."

"I won't," the girl promised faintly, not daring to look straight into her mother's eyes.

Elizabeth made a funny looking movement, as though she had wanted to pull her daughter into an embrace but had restrained herself at the last moment.

"Well, goodbye," she said limply, in a way that bore much resemblance to a farewell said four years ago. Except that then, the prospect of leaving her best friend behind had broken Emily's heart. She wasn't so sure the ambassador felt the same way about her.

"Goodbye, mother," she whispered and blinked rapidly, watching the black car drive away through a blurry veil.

* * *

"Miss Prentiss?"

Emily turned around, confused. Had she been standing in the cold all this time?

"Sorry," she muttered.

"You don't have to apologize, dear," the man said warmly, which made the girl feel better immediately. "Here you go."

"Thanks, Henry. Please, don't call me Miss, it makes me feel old," she requested timidly and wiped away her tears with his handkerchief.

Henry chuckled and gave her a wink of encouragement. "As you wish. Please, come on in. The table is already set, I daresay you must be hungry after the long flight."

Emily gave him a grateful smile and followed him into the house.

* * *

"Thank you so much, it was delicious." Emily wasn't exaggerating, this was probably the most delightful dinner she had enjoyed in her whole life.

"I will tell Berta you appreciate her cooking skills, Miss... I mean Emily," Henry promptly corrected himself, while he removed the dishes from the table. The brunette jumped to her feet and hurried to help him, nearly tripping over the carpet.

"Careful there."

The teenager blushed slightly and handed him her plate. "I think I'm going to bed," she said nervously. "I want to be rested tomorrow." Her stomach twitched; she dreaded the next day more than anything in the world, and she couldn't even snitch some sleeping pills from her mother's cabinet to make it through the night unhinged.

Two hours later, Emily was laying in a big, comfortable bed, in the room that had belonged to her mother when she was little. She was glad she had brought her own bedclothes. They were warm and soft, and they reminded her of "home", wherever that was. Suddenly, a wonderful thought entered her mind. She got up and opened her backpack, where she had put her most valuable possessions. There it was, wrapped in between two old t-shirts to prevent the glass from breaking. With the utmost caution, as though it could fall apart just by touching it, she put the framed photograph on the bedside table, her eyes glimmering as she looked at it. Soon afterward, she gently drove off to dreamland and on that particular night, no nightmares bothered her.


	3. The First Day Of Many

The ride was uneventful. Emily barely spoke, and Henry was tactful enough not to ask any questions, sensing how terrified the sixteen-year-old girl was. He turned the radio on, hoping the music would help her relax.

_But I still haven't found what I'm looking for..._

At least, not everything would be odd and unfamiliar, the teen thought gloomily, as she heard the well-known lyrics of the song. Moments after Bono had finished his last verse, they arrived at the new school, and Henry opened the door for her. "You don't have to do that," she said embarrassed, and grabbed her backpack with shaking hands. Her legs were made out of jelly, and Henry had to support her as she unwillingly climbed out of the car.

"This is it," she stated in an attempt to sound somewhat confident, her glum face betraying her.

"Have a nice day, Emily," Henry wished her. Emily smiled tepidly at him. She doubted her day would turn out even remotely "nice". The old man hesitated. "May I... May I hug you?"

The youngster smiled affectionately at him. "Yeah, I'd like that very much."

After they separated, Emily felt a lot lighter. Nonetheless, every fibre of her body was telling her to turn around and run away, but the sound of her father's voice hindered her.

_"Don't run away from your fears, Emily. Face them. Otherwise, they will grow stronger and eventually devour you."_

The teenager gulped, her dad's advice still resounding in her head. "Okay, here we go," she said to herself and inhaled deeply, casting one last crooked grin in Henry's direction.

* * *

"Emily Prentiss, nice to meet you. How are you, dear?"

"I'm fine. Thank you, ma'am," Emily addressed the elderly woman sitting in front of her.

"I'm glad to hear that," the principal said. She was a strict looking woman in her mid-fifties but appearing much older, and Emily's first impression was that it would be ill-advised to draw unnecessary attention towards herself. This woman was surely not as lenient as her homeschooling teachers.

"You had excellent grades."

"Thank you," Emily mumbled, wondering if the woman held the right report card in her hands.

"I wasn't finished," said the principal, her face turning severe.

"Oh dear, here we go," Emily thought, expecting to be bawled out by Mrs. Simmons.

"Your mother was kind enough to hand me copies of your last three report cards. Generally speaking, you were an excellent student, nothing but A's, with the exception of Mathematics and Physics. And of course…" Mrs. Simmons paused dramatically and cast Emily and intimidating glance, "…Of course, without taking into account your last report card, where I see a lot of C's, some D's and even an E. Do you care to explain what happened?"

"I... I didn't study enough..." Emily stammered, knowing how lame it sounded. She stared down at her lap and started kneading her hands in an involuntary motion, wishing for nothing but for this day to end already. The principal looked at her in silence. "I would appreciate it if you were honest with me," Mrs. Simmons went on after a pause, her voice softer now. "Academically, you were an outstanding student, until last year that is. Then, your conduct started to decline, and it strongly reflected on your grades."

Mrs. Simmons put her glasses on her nose and cleared her throat before reading out loud. " _Miss Prentiss arrived half an hour late to class, for the third time this week... Miss Prentiss skipped a whole week of school... Miss Prentiss did not attend to detention repeatedly... Miss Prentiss shows no respect for her teachers or other_ _authority figures…_ That should be enough," she ended in an almost tender tone and put the report cards back on the desk.

"I... I'm sorry," Emily said sheepishly, her face red like a tomato that had spent too much time in the sun. "I was going through a rebellious phase and I didn't really think about the repercussions of my actions. What I did was stupid and irresponsible… Please don't tell my new teachers," she pleaded, meeting with Mrs. Simmons eyes for the first time since she'd entered her office.

"I won't," the principal promised solemnly. "But you have to do something for me too."

"Anything," Emily said hastily.

"I expect you to behave yourself, work hard, and not cause trouble ever again. I don't wish to hear a single complaint about you from your teachers. Do we understand each other?"

"Yes, ma'am," Emily said firmly, a feverish determination on her face.

"Very good. Here's your timetable. I will walk you to your first period myself."

* * *

"This is Emily Prentiss." Twenty-six pairs of curious eyes looked directly at her. Her face was hot, and she shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. "I expect you to make her feel welcome here," said the teacher, a young woman with glasses and long wavy brown hair.

"Thank you," croaked Emily. Her eyes scanned the classroom for an empty seat, and they found one next to one of the windows. She hurriedly approached it and sat down, relieved that she didn't have to introduce herself. Thank God, the seat on her right was empty too. That way, she could avoid awkward questions. Emily took out her pencils and her notepad, and took a quick glance at the timetable Principal Simmons had given her. English Literature. Great, this was a subject she was good at. As the lesson continued and her classmates concentrated on taking notes, she allowed her thoughts to drift away.

* * *

**Nine years ago, Jennifer's bedroom**

"Hold still!" a small girl with two blonde braids commanded.

"I'm trying," whined the slightly older girl with a wince. "Ouch, you're pulling my hair!"

"That's because you won't sit still. You're worse than Jackie," scolded Jennifer. "There you go; now we look like twins," she said happily, proud of her "work of art".

The girls giggled and lay down on the floor, their heads touching each other.

"What do you wanna be when you grow up?" Emily asked her best friend.

"I don't know, a teacher or a mommy," answered Jennifer. "And you?"

"I want to be an ambassador like mom and visit every country in the world," said Emily earnestly.

"Don't you wanna have babies?" inquired the smaller girl.

"Yeah, maybe. But babies are extremely ugly."

"I think they're cute," Jennifer objected. "I wanna have four or five."

"First, you have to find a boy and marry him," said Emily matter-of-factly. "Then you have to have sex with him to make babies."

"Sex? What's that?"

Emily laughed. "It's another word for the f-word. You know, fu..."

"I know what the f-word is!"

"Good. Well, when you have sex a man puts his thing in your pussy. But children aren't allowed to do it, you have to wait until you're like, thirty or something. That's when my mom had me," she explained, pleased that she knew more about the topic than the blonde girl, who listened in awe.

"Ew, that sounds gross," Jennifer cried out, genuinely shocked. "I would never do that."

"You kind of have to if you wanna have kids," Emily said with determination. "And you gotta kiss him too, and touch him."

"But I don't want to."

"You have to. Don't worry, Paul says it doesn't hurt. Grown-ups do it because it's fun and because they want to have babies. And they only do it when they're in love."

Jennifer thought about this last bit, trying to process all this new information.

"Can two girls do that too?" she asked her friend.

Emily's eyes widened with surprise. "I don't think so, Paul never said anything about it," she said, unconvinced. "I think it doesn't work. See the kids at school? They all have a mommy and a daddy, not two mommies."

Jennifer pouted. "But I want to marry you."

Emily giggled. "You can't, silly."

"Why not?"

"Because we're best friends."

* * *

"Emily?"

Startled, Emily awoke from her daydream.

"Y-yes?"

"I was talking to you."

"Of course, I'm sorry," said the brunette, trying to remember what the teacher had asked her.

"Mr. Morgan, would you please care to repeat the question for Ms. Prentiss?"

"Sure."

Emily turned to her right. The seat was no longer empty, the boy must have arrived late, without her noticing him. He returned her puzzled expression by grinning widely. Emily blushed for the third time that day and looked down at her notepad, as though there was something interesting there to read. The boy sure was cute, and when he repeated the question, she looked up, relieved. This was easy. As she gave the class a quick and precise summary of what Ms. Henley had asked her, the clock struck 09:45 and the school bell rang.

"All right class, see you on Thursday! Please read chapters three, four and five." The students moaned in protest.

"That was impressive, Emily," Ms. Henley said as Emily was about to leave the classroom. "Keep it up and try to focus more," she added, smiling brightly at her new student.

"I will," Emily replied, blushing once more.

* * *

Emily was sitting in the cafeteria with her nose stuck in a book. Just as the main character was about to declare his undying love to the girl of his dreams, a familiar voice interrupted her.

"Hey princess."

It was Morgan, the boy from her English Literature class. Emily frowned. "Don't call me that. I'm not your girlfriend."

"No, but you will be," he teased her, earning himself a stern glare from the brunette.

"Not a fan of jokes? You are a serious girl, Emily Prentiss, and I like it."

Emily could not believe him. Were all the boys at this school this blunt or was it her lucky day? "If you don't mind, I want to finish my book before next period," she said without looking at him.

"Oh, come on. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. Believe me, I just want to get to know you. You seem nice, and you're definitely smart."

Emily closed her book and searched for his eyes. They spoke the truth. "Well, what do you want to know, Morgan?"

He laughed. "Morgan is actually my last name. Just call me Derek, everyone does. Well, the people I like do," he said, smiling faintly.

"Okay, Derek," said Emily, smiling back at him. Maybe the Morgan boy wasn't so bad after all…


	4. A New Friend

A few weeks had passed and despite her initial worries, Emily had adjusted quite well to her new life. What struck her as almost bizarre was having so much time at her disposition, without being obliged to attend her mother's dinner parties or to accompany her dad to his golf club every other Saturday morning. Sometimes, she even missed Elizabeth Prentiss' harsh voice telling her to sit up straight or to stop biting her nails. They hardly spoke over the phone; the ambassador was a busy woman, and that hadn't changed one bit.

Since schoolwork couldn't keep her occupied, Emily spent her free time wandering around the city and nearby locations, like a tourist visiting for the first time. Whenever she found a quiet place, she would take a book out of her bag and lose herself entirely in its plot, only realizing how late it was after the sun had finalized its journey across the sky; with the moon waiting just around the corner to make his appearance. Henry never complained when she arrived late for dinner once again, though on occasion he looked rather worried.

It was Friday in the afternoon, and Emily was in her room holding a pen and notepad. She inspected every inch of her new "lair", as her grandfather had called her mother's room, enthusiastically scribbling down everything that came to her mind. Yes, she would need some paint, the old wallpaper with pink and yellow flowers was awful. A bookshelf would be awesome too, she didn't own any piece of furniture to guard her treasures, and she would also buy an easel for her paintings. The heavy curtains would have to go, they prevented the sunlight from illuminating the place during the day, and the old-fashioned embroidery belonged in an old lady's room; she would gift it to her neighbor Mrs. Berkeley, an adorable little woman who lived across the street with her two cats.

Emily wrote "bean bag" in large letters on her paper, quite pleased with herself. For starters, this was enough. Then, something occurred to her, and she ran down the stairs and grabbed the phone.

"Hey, do you want to come over?"

* * *

"Who is paying for all this stuff?" asked Derek incredulously.

"My parents," said Emily huskily. "Do you think it's too much?"

"Well, you didn't have to buy the second bean bag," Derek chuckled. "And why on earth do you need both blue and yellow paint?"

"The red one is for you, you dickhead," laughed Emily. "Where else would you sit when you come to visit?"

"I don't know, on the bed?"

"Yeah, you wish. As if I didn't know your real intentions," Emily joked.

"My intentions are always noble, I swear."

"Right," she snorted and threw a cushion at him.

"Hey!"

Emily laughed and aimed for his head, hitting her mark.

"Ouch!" he complained and chased after her. Emily ran away, but naturally, the boy was much faster, and he caught her in no time. She giggled as he started to tickle her most sensitive spots. Her body went limp and she fell on the floor, dragging Derek along with her. He landed on her and she couldn't breathe, the boy's weight immobilized her. The teenagers looked into each other's eyes for three seconds, panting heavily. Then, Emily pushed Derek away with force and jumped to her feet. A moment of awkward silence followed, until a loud knock on the door interrupted them.

"Yes?" asked Emily feebly.

"Dinner's ready. Why don't you and Mr. Morgan follow me into the dining room?"

Emily mentally thanked Henry for being discreet, if he had noticed their accelerated breathing and embarrassed looks, he surely would've jumped to the wrong conclusion.

"Of course, we will be there in five," she answered. "Come on," she said to her friend. "Berta's cooking is fantastic."

* * *

Wow, Emily hadn't exaggerated when she had praised Berta's cooking skills.

"Thank you very much, it was extremely delicious," the boy told the corpulent woman, whose face glowed with pride.

"What did I tell you?" Emily beamed at him. "Do you want to watch a movie?"

"I would never say no to that, especially if it's with my favorite girl."

Emily blushed, remembering what had happened in her bedroom earlier.

"Whoa, aren't you a Casanova. You've known me for about five seconds, and I'm your favorite already."

"My favorite and my only one."

"You're crazy. What movie do you want to see?"

"Do you have 'Terminator'?"

"Are you kidding me, Morgan?"

"No? It was worth a shot. You pick the movie, then. I watch pretty much everything."

Twenty minutes later, both teens were sitting on the couch in Emily's late grandmother's living room. Derek had installed the new VCR, and Berta had made fresh popcorn for them. Emily had even found some blankets in her closet; everything was set for a long, cozy movie night. The brunette cuddled herself against her classmate, feeling completely at ease. They had agreed to watch a horror movie and those scared the hell out of her. Derek wrapped his arm around her, though not as comfortable as his new friend. He had definitely felt something in Emily's room while laying on top of her, even if it had been just a spark, and he needed to be careful not to ruin everything.


	5. An Old Friend

Emily sighed. Five more minutes, and she would be free. When the school bell finally rang, she grabbed her bag and ran out of the classroom.

"Where are you going?" Derek called after her.

Emily turned around and waved at him. "See you later, okay?"

"Wait!"

His disappointed gaze followed her to the parking lot, but Emily was too excited to worry about her friend. Henry was waiting in the car, and the girl greeted him effusively, her face glowing with anticipation.

"Good day to you too, Miss Emily. Where are we going today?" he asked, thrilled to see his new protégée so happy.

"To the bookshop, please."

Henry smiled. "Another new release?"

Emily nodded. "And a magnificent one, too. I need to get my hands on a copy before it's sold out."

During the ride, Emily chatted about the book she wanted to acquire so eagerly, and the author's previous works she considered worth reading. Henry enjoyed her jabbering; he had grown quite fond of young Ms. Prentiss over the past two weeks.

"Here it is!" Emily squeaked. "Thanks, Henry," she said, pulling the man into a quick hug.

"Wait, when shall I return to pick you up…?"

But the girl was already gone.

Emily entered the small bookstore and spotted the desk with the new releases at once. Her eyes went wide — there was a single copy left! She reached out to grasp it, but somebody else was quicker. A blonde girl was holding the object of her desires, caressing the book's cover with her hand. Emily cursed under her breath.

"Did you say something?"

The girl's voice sounded familiar, but only after she looked straight at Emily, did a cry of surprise leave the brunette's mouth.

"Jennifer?" she said in a whisper. How could this be?

The girl froze as she recognized her long lost best friend, and the book slipped from her hands. Emily rushed to catch it, but she wasn't fast enough; it fell to the ground with a thud. As the girls bent down their hands brushed against each other, and that delicate touch was sufficient to make Emily's insides burn.

She rose quickly and returned the book to Jen, who stared at her in shock.

"What are you doing here? How… When?" she stuttered, trembling. Emily was weak herself, and she struggled to stand upright.

"I moved back a couple of weeks ago to finish high-school, my mom told me you moved away, I wasn't expecting… Oh my God," said Emily, the words leaving her mouth in a quick succession.

Jennifer shook her head in disbelief, and when she spoke, her voice was choked with emotion.

"Mom and I did move away, my dad stayed… But we're back now, he was getting lonely all by himself… I thought I would never see you again."

Then, Jennifer did something Emily was not prepared for. She came forward and embraced her, leaving damp spots on Emily's cheek.

"I'm sorry," she said after releasing her. "This is just me getting emotional."

"Oh," was all Emily managed to say.

"I… do you wanna grab a cup of coffee somewhere?" Jen asked tentatively.

"I would love to," Emily replied, yearning for another embrace.

* * *

"Henry, thank God you're still here! This is Jennifer."

"Well, hello there, Miss Jareau. What an exceptionally pleasant surprise!" Henry exclaimed. It didn't escape his attention the teens were holding hands, a detail he overlooked deliberately.

"Please, everyone calls me JJ, or Jennifer."

"I think I will stick with Jennifer," Henry said, barely containing a chuckle. "This calls for a celebration, don't you think? Should I drive you to Sam's Palace?"

Sam's Palace was a café in the town's center. It was a cozy little place with orange lampshades and vintage furniture, where Emily sometimes drank a cup of hot chocolate to warm herself up after having spent hours in the open.

* * *

Emily automatically let go of JJ's hand as soon as they entered the café.

"Where do you want to sit?" she asked, scanning the room with her eyes. Jennifer's choice fell on a small booth next to a window.

"There," she pointed.

"Okay," Emily nodded. "Let me take your coat."

"Oh, you don't have to do that," said Jennifer quickly, nonetheless handing her coat over to the brunette, who took both garments to the wardrobe.

Emily watched Jennifer from across the room. Her nerves were threatening to fail her like many times before. The situation was surreal, and she wasn't certain the sensation spreading through her chest was one of happiness. "Relax, it's Jen," she told herself and took a deep breath. "You know her, there's no reason to be nervous."

Somehow it worked, and she rejoined JJ, feeling more confident.

"I already ordered two coffees, I hope you don't mind."

"I don't, thank you," replied Emily, sitting down opposite the blonde.

"So…" she started.

"So…" repeated Jennifer, not sure how to continue this conversation. They had chatted animatedly in the car with Henry, largely exchanging pleasantries, but were now at a loss for words.

"I like your new nickname," said Emily, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. JJ was looking through the window, her gaze distant and contemplative. The sun bathed her face in a warm light, and Emily was overwhelmed by how beautiful she was.

"A lot happened after you left," said JJ, fixating the sugar dispenser with her eyes. "You don't know how much I missed you."

Emily swallowed, but said nothing. Jennifer didn't need to know she had cried her eyes out every night for a whole month, and that on some nights, she still did.

"I… It was hard," Jennifer continued after a pause. "All I had was the book with your poem inside. I called you several times, but somehow my phone calls never went through, so I wrote letters, one for each day, for a year."

"JJ, I…"

"Why didn't you write back?"

The question made Emily's heart ache. She searched for the blonde's eyes, hoping to make her comprehend. But how could she look into JJ's blue eyes and tell her that sitting down with a pen and paper had reminded her she was in another country, miles away from her best friend? That she had loved to get her letters, but had dreaded them at the same time, and that she had been relieved after moving to Rome and they had stopped arriving?

"Em?"

Emily flinched.

"I can call you that, right?" asked JJ carefully.

"Of course. It's just that my boyfriend… Well, my ex-boyfriend used that nickname for me."

"Oh. I'm sorry," said Jennifer sympathetically.

"Don't be. It ended kind of badly."

"Why, what happened?"

"Maybe some other time," said Emily and took a sip from her coffee. It was cold. "I will be right back," she said and fled to the restrooms, leaving a perturbed Jennifer behind.

When she came back, JJ was gone. Emily's coat lay on the table, and after she had picked it up and put it on, she found what Jen had left beneath it. It was the book from the bookstore and a napkin with an address and phone number on it. _"I'm sorry, Em. I had to go. Call me."_ Jen had written on it in her feminine, perfect handwriting.


	6. The Birthday Party

Where was that goddamn napkin? Emily swore. She only hoped it hadn't been thrown away by one of the maids. The phonebook, of course! Why hadn't she thought of that earlier?

"J… Jacobson… Jansson… January… Jared…" Nope, there was no Jareau there. What if…? Emily ran to the phone, and dialed a well-known number to her.

_"Hello, this is Jennifer Jareau speaking."_

Emily hung up, utterly mad at herself. For God's sake, she was calling her best friend, damn it! She dialed JJ's number again.

_"Yes, hello? This is Jennifer."_ JJ repeated in annoyance.

"Hi Jennifer, it's me, Emily," she piped, like the tiniest member of a mouse family.

_"Oh, hi Emily!"_ JJ greeted her cheerfully, unaffected by her friend's tone. _"I thought it was someone trying to sell us electric blankets again. Those people never give up."_

"Yeah, they can be pretty annoying," Emily agreed quickly.

There was an uncomfortable silence, neither girl knowing what to say next. Gone was the familiarity JJ's presence had stirred in Emily merely a couple of days earlier, being replaced by an odd feeling of detachment. She resisted the urge to hang up on JJ, being aware it would be very rude to do so.

_"I'm sorry I left you at the café the other day. I had to go to my cheerleader practice, I completely lost track of time while catching up with you,"_ Jen finally offered, her voice weary. Emily bit her lip and closed her eyes, attempting to control her now ragged breathing. When she finally spoke, she was as self-composed as usual.

"That's ok. Thank you so much for the book. You really didn't have to… You are a cheerleader?" she asked, while unsuccessfully trying to picture the blonde in a cheerleading uniform.

Jennifer chuckled lightly. _"Yeah, for almost two years now. And don't worry about the book, I know my mom bought a copy for me. Consider it a belated birthday gift, or an early Christmas present. Speaking of birthdays… I know it's kind of a longshot, but… are you free tomorrow? I'm having a birthday party at my place."_

"Tomorrow?" Emily croaked, realizing that she hadn't paid attention to dates or weekdays lately. "Of course, your birthday…" she mumbled, a jolt of guilt hitting her in the chest, for this special date had completely slipped her mind.

_"Emily, don't worry. It's been a long time, I didn't expect you to remember,"_ Jennifer said casually, but the brunette didn't fail to notice the slight change in her voice. _"I… the party starts at 9pm, but you can come earlier, if you want to… It would mean a lot if you came, Em,"_ JJ finished in a susurration.

"I would love to," Emily whispered back, unaware of the fact Jennifer had used her much loathed nickname. "I will be there, Jen."

_"Great! It's a date then!"_ Jennifer exclaimed with exuberant joy.

"It is?" Emily asked stupidly. Jennifer laughed.

_"You know what I mean. Oh, dad's calling me, I have to go,"_ she said, and she sounded truly sorry. _"Bye, Emily. I'm so glad you said yes. I thought…"_

"JJ, I would never miss your birthday. Not if I can help it."

_"Yeah, I know. I guess I still have to process the fact that you're here. You're actually here, Em."_

"I'm here." Emily repeated simply, as to reassure both the blonde and herself. "By the way, I like it."

_"What do you like?"_ JJ asked, puzzled.

"The way you say my nickname, JJ."

_"I like how you say mine too,"_ Jennifer replied sweetly. _"By Em, see you tomorrow."_

"Bye, JJ."

* * *

**The next day…**

"My parents are out of town," JJ told Emily, as the brunette was getting comfortable on the Jareau's family couch. She had arrived half an hour ago, and much to her relief, communication had flown effortless between them, just like when they were children.

"Really? They let you have a party without any supervision, while they're out of town?"

"Yeah, they're kind of cool, you know. And they trust me completely. That's why I had to hide the liquor in the basement," she grinned mischievously.

"You bought alcohol? But we're all underage! We could get into serious trouble!" Emily exclaimed, her voice high-pitched.

"Don't worry, my uncle owns a liquor store, and he got me all the stuff for free. Plus, he promised to check on us from time to time, in case things got out of control," she added, rather amused at her friend's desperate expression.

"Your uncle Larry? But he's hardly older than we are!" Emily nearly shouted.

"He's twenty-six. Jesus, Emily, would you calm down? One might think you've never been to a party before."

"Well, you know my parents," Emily replied sourly. _'No parties for you until you turn eighteen,'_ she mimicked the Ambassador's voice.

"Wow, really?"

"Yeah, and that's why I got myself into trouble in the first place. My boyfriend was a sophomore in college, and he took me to all this wild parties..." Emily's voice trailed off, she had said too much already.

"I promise you nothing bad will happen." JJ reassured her, squeezing her hand tightly.

* * *

Just minutes after the girls had made the final preparations for Jennifer's fifteenth birthday party, the first guests arrived. They were a couple of kids from JJ's classes, Emily didn't know them. After greeting everyone, the beautiful host invited them into the living room, where Emily reluctantly handed each one a can of beer. Then, she reunited with Jennifer in the kitchen, they had to look after the pizzas in the oven.

"By the way, I invited that boy you always hang out with," JJ informed her. "Derek Morgan, right?"

"How do you know him?" Emily asked, not sure if she liked this surprise. "And how do you know he's my friend?"

"A friend of mine goes to soccer practice with him and he told me you two go together like peas and carrots," said JJ, quoting one of Emily's favorite movies. The dark-haired girl couldn't help but smile at the blonde's remark.

"As much as I like Morgan, I've already found the peas to my carrots," she said, drawing closer to JJ until their shoulders touched. When the birthday girl remained silent, Emily cast her a quick side-glance, and it pained her to notice a hint of sadness on the blonde's beautiful face.

"So, how come I never see you at school?" Emily asked, changing the subject.

"I'm not even a junior yet. We're separated from you guys because – well, the school simply has too many students and at some point the principal decided we had to expand." JJ answered, and Emily became aware of two piercing blue eyes staring at her.

"That's a shame. I would love to have you around and see you more often," she said, redirecting her gaze towards the pizzas in the oven.

"Me too," JJ said sincerely, taking Emily's hand in hers. Before Emily could pull her hand away, the doorbell rang. "Oh, more guests!" JJ cried with excitement, letting go of Emily and leaving her alone in the kitchen. She returned in the company of a rather tall and good-looking raven haired boy, who was at least seventeen.

"Emily, this is Ian. Ian, Emily," she introduced them to each other, missing Emily's grouchy expression.

Ian smiled, and stretched out his right hand. "Emily Prentiss. I've heard so much about you!"

"You have?" Emily asked dumbfounded.

"Yes, JJ doesn't shut up about you."

"Oh be quiet, Ian," Jennifer told the older boy, blushing almost unnoticeably.

Then, Ian pulled JJ closer in one swift motion and…

_Kissed her._

Emily nearly dropped her can of beer. Jennifer hadn't told her she had a boyfriend… because Ian was her boyfriend, right?

"Ian, you are impossible," laughed JJ, shoving him away.

Emily excused herself and went to the living room. Where was the fucking alcohol? She needed a refill. Emily helped herself to another beer, taking it outside the Jareau's porch and hoping the chilly weather would prevent any other guests to join her there. Much to her dismay, she saw JJ and Ian leaning against the car, their mouths pressed together as though there was no tomorrow.

* * *

"What's with the pout, princess?"

When had _he_ arrived to the party? "Nothing. And how many times do I have to tell you not to call me…"

"Ok, I'm sorry. But frankly, it suits you. Wanna dance?"

"Fine."

She would welcome any distraction, anything to help her forget the image of Jennifer and her _boyfriend_ making out on the porch. She let Derek guide her to the dance floor, where a couple of kids were already moving their bodies in a funky manner. "Groovy!" Derek exclaimed. Emily had to admit this was a lot of fun. Morgan made silly grimaces at her, making her explode with laughter. He was a gifted dancer, and swirled her around with no effort. When a slow, romantic tune began to play, Derek took Emily's hands and put them on his shoulders, before resting his own on the girl's waist. Emily's cheeks were burning. Hopefully nobody from their class saw them together like this. She would die. As the song continued to play, Emily looked into her dance partner's eyes, and wondered if she could love this handsome, chocolate-skinned, kind boy with his charming grin. When the music stopped, Emily leaned in, and kissed him softly on the lips. If Derek was surprised, he hid it well.

"Let's go upstairs," he said and pulled her swiftly towards the stairs. "I have something to tell you."

* * *

"What did you want to tell me?"

Derek looked at her expressive brown eyes, remaining silent. Then, he slowly came closer, until their bodies were just millimeters apart. Giving in to a sudden instinct, Emily closed her eyes. The alcohol had made her a little bit dizzy. Two seconds later, Derek's warm lips were brushing gingerly against her own. Her heartbeat sped up as the boy gradually parted her lips with his tongue, gently urging her to grant him access to her mouth. He took his time, resting his hands on her hips like when they were dancing earlier. Next, he abandoned Emily's fleshy lips for a while to plant soft kisses on her cheek, leaving a trail of hot air as he moved further down to her neck and finally to her ear, nibbling carefully at it. A soft moan escaped Emily's mouth, which encouraged Derek to continue until the girl inhaled sharply. "No, stop that. People will see us," she protested, pulling away from him.

"Let them see. Let them see that you're mine, Emily Prentiss," he groaned.

"But I'm not," she objected feebly, before their lips met again. The second kiss was much more passionate and fierce, and soon left both teenagers out of breath. Derek pulled her even closer and attacked her neck again, until sounds of pleasure left Emily's mouth. Dismissing his intention to take things slow, he crushed his mouth onto her swollen lips, and pushed her against the wall. After assuring himself he hadn't hurt her, Derek pinned Emily's left arm above her head, and slowly started licking the sensitive skin above her cleavage. Using his free hand he pulled up her tank top, revealing a black lace bra. He then let go of her arm and got down on his knees to kiss her lower abdomen, tracing circles around it with his tongue.

"Oh God, Morgan!" Emily whimpered, her hands roaming through his hair. She didn't even notice how the boy skilfully opened the zipper of her jeans and pulled them down, kissing her through the fabric of her panties. He got up to meet with her lips one more time, pressing his body fervently against hers. Emily could feel his erection through the thin layer of her undies, and her whole body stiffened when Derek pulled down that last piece of garment separating him from her bare skin.

"No, stop," she cried, panic rising in her voice. Morgan immediately let go of her, wondering what he had done wrong. He didn't have to look at Emily's face to sense that something was off. Her lips and shoulders were trembling, and tears were glistering in her eyes. Derek hurriedly rearranged her clothes, and pulled her into a tight embrace. Emily sobbed against his shoulder, and he rocked her back and forth, as he had done with all his baby cousins.

"I'm so sorry, Emily," he breathed against her ear. "I shouldn't have done that. Not like this. You deserve so much better."

* * *

"Emily? Derek? What are you guys doing up here?"

"Emily isn't feeling very well."

JJ glanced at her best friend and then at the boy she hardly knew. "What did you do to her?" she barked.

"Nothing, I swear! We were making out and she was into it, and the next thing I know she's crying. It's like she had a flashback or something, but she won't say anything to me. Maybe you could try and talk to her, I think it's something... delicate."

"You _kissed_ her?"

"Hey, it's not like that, she kissed me back! Everything was fine until she wanted me to stop- Don't worry, I stopped," he added hastily, frightened of the murderous look the blonde shot at him. "But then she started crying, and she hasn't stopped... I'm really worried."

Jennifer nodded. "Thanks, Derek. And sorry that I yelled at you."

"Hey, no worries, I totally deserved it. Look at what I did," he said remorsefully.

"I will take care of Emily. Could you please go down and check on the guys? I think they were dancing on the table when I left them."

"Sure, no problem."

"Thank you."

As soon as Derek had left, Jennifer kneeled down beside her inconsolable friend and took her hands in hers.

"Emily, sweetie, what's the matter?"

The brunette sobbed even harder, a fresh waterfall streaming down her face.

She could never tell anyone…


	7. The First Night Together

Emily's head was heavy, and she felt as if a train had rolled over her body. She yawned and rubbed her eyes. Sunrays were tickling her nose and blinding her sight. Slowly, last night's events came rushing to her mind, at least part of them. A sharp pain hit her chest, and the urge to cry overwhelmed her once more. Emily let a few tears run freely over her cheeks and fall onto the blanket wrapped around her body, before resolutely wiping them away.

"Not now," she spoke softly to herself. She looked around after her eyes had adjusted to the blazing light. This had to be Mr. and Mrs. Jareau's bedroom; it was the same way she remembered it, only the wardrobe had changed. The old, heavy one made of dark wood had been replaced with a much bigger one made of oak. But that was not the point, she thought, suddenly anxious. How did she end up in this bed? And why was she half-naked? She heard soft snoring sounds coming from the blanket next to her. Oh God, no! Did she…? No, she had pushed him away before anything could happen… Then the blanket moved, revealing a very sleepy looking blonde with the brightest blue eyes.

"JJ!" Emily cried out in relief.

"Hey Em," the blonde yawned back at her. "Did you sleep alright?"

"Like a baby," Emily lied. "JJ, why are we in your parent's bed?"

"I don't know. Remember we had a very long talk last night? I bet the boys put us to bed after we passed out on my parent's carpet," JJ joked half-heartedly. Truth be told, her head was buzzing as much as Emily's, and she didn't want to upset her already distressed friend any further by disclosing the truth to her.

"The boys?" Emily asked, her muddled brain still blocking out a large part of what had happened last night.

"Yeah, Ian and Derek. I might have coerced them into cleaning up the mess after everyone left… well, everyone except you," JJ blurted out, a light shade of red gracing her cheeks. It went unnoticed by the brunette, whose stomach twisted in revulsion at the mentioning of both Derek's and Ian's name.

"Hey, are you sure you slept alright?" Jennifer interjected, as Emily was about to raise with the blanket draped around her slender legs. "Why don't you hit the showers first?" she offered, giving her friend the opportunity to gather her thoughts. "I could sure use a couple more minute's sleep."

Instead of replying, Emily sunk back into the bed and averted her eyes. "I don't know, I should probably leave. I don't have any clean clothes," she finally said, and wished JJ was still sleeping, it would've made evading her questions a lot easier; questions she was sure would be expressed after they had both showered and gotten dressed, and she wasn't ready to tell anyone –not even JJ- about Rome, or about _him._

Jennifer shook her head slightly and sighed, getting Em to open up was a challenging task indeed, not dissimilar to a treasure hunt in which the treasure chest had been sunk into the depths of the ocean, and subsequently the only key had been devoured by a white shark. She only hoped Emily had kept a copy somewhere.

"That's ok, you can borrow some of mine. I'll even let you pick my favorite ones," JJ said in an attempt to lighten up the mood; Emily would confide in her when she was ready.

"I don't know…" Emily's voice trailed off as she stared into the distance.

_Oh no, I'm losing her again…_

"Emily Lauren Prentiss, we used to exchange clothes all the time when we were little. It's no big deal," JJ reminded her with a grin, anticipating that mentioning Emily's middle name would snap the brunette out of her momentary lethargy.

Emily glared at her, eyebrows lifted in disapproval. "Fine, but I'm not wearing your pink sweater with the unicorn!"

* * *

Emily looked around; Jennifer's room was very different from the little girl's dream in white and pink she had stored in her memory. The only object she recognized besides the furniture was JJ's teddy bear, Mr. Pickles. It soothed Emily that JJ hadn't thrown him away; sure, he was rather shabby, but he had always been a faithful playmate to the girls, alternately being the child when they played "family", or a big, ferocious beast who wanted to devour them when they played "adventure".

Emily sat on the bed and flattened JJ's colorful bedspread with her hands. A photograph on the night table caught her attention. It showed Jennifer with her big sister, Jacqueline. Jen was about eight or nine, making Jackie the same age JJ was now. Both girls were smiling at whoever had taken the picture, but the older Jareau girl had a sadness in her eyes that was hard to grasp. JJ had followed Emily's gaze, and when Emily looked away from the photograph, their eyes met. A flash of the same emotion the brunette had just identified on Jackie's face darkened the blonde's features, but it was over so quickly Emily wasn't sure her own emotions weren't playing tricks on her.

JJ turned around abruptly and opened her wardrobe, discreetly brushing away the single tear that had fallen from her eyes.

A cry of surprise left Emily's mouth. "Wow!"

"I get that a lot," the blonde beamed.

"What do you do with all that clothes and shoes?"

"Well, most of the times, I wear them," JJ answered amused. "You'd think an ambassador's daughter would own ten times more stuff."

"More like half of it. Oh, this is beautiful!" Emily exclaimed, taking a blue strapless dress out of the closet.

"It used to belong to Jackie…"

There it was again, the sadness from before. Except this time Emily not only saw it, she heard it in JJ's voice too.

"It must be hard for you that she's away at college," she said sympathetically.

"She… It is. I miss her so much. I sometimes wear her clothes because it makes me feel close to her. They still carry her scent..." JJ closed her eyes and shivered, shaking off any thoughts about her sister. She too, would tell Emily when the time was right…

"I think it's great you guys are so close. I've always wanted a big sister. I bet it would've made living with my mother much more bearable."

"I bet it would've," answered JJ absentmindedly. "Anyways, do you mind if I go first? You can pick some clothes in the meantime, I won't be long."

"Of course not, you go first, I'll wait here."

"Thank you."

Before Emily could say anything, JJ had stripped off her clothes and was standing in front of her, only wearing a pair of red panties with white dots and baby blue lace on the sides, and a matching bra. Oh sweet mother of Jesus, Emily was not prepared for this breathtaking sight. She swallowed, slightly confused as to why she was staring at JJ without being able to take her eyes off her almost naked body. It was perfect, with all the right curves in the right places, firm and supple at the same time. Emily begged to God and the angels above she wouldn't take off her underwear too. She wasn't comfortable with seeing other people naked; let alone showing herself naked to others.

Jennifer hesitated for a brief moment.

"Do you want to… should we shower together?" she then asked timidly.

"WHAT?" Emily couldn't believe her ears.

"I mean, that way I can rub your back, and you can rub mine… it's always so hard to do that on your own," JJ said, suddenly looking away.

"Uhm… I… I prefer to shower alone," Emily said a tad too harshly.

"Sorry, I didn't want to offend you," said Jennifer, her voice filled with distress. "It's just… we used to take baths together all the time…"

"Yeah, when we were like four and five."

"Again, I'm sorry."

Emily said nothing.

"Well, be right back," JJ said quietly.

* * *

**Emily's bedroom, 11 years ago**

"But I don't want to be the mommy, why do I always have to be the mommy?" whined Jennifer.

"Because I'm bigger than you!"

"So?"

"So, the daddy has to be bigger than the mommy, that's how it is. If you play the mommy, we can be princesses afterwards," she offered in a more conciliatory tone.

"Ok, but you have to do what I say."

"Deal."

Both girls grinned, each one convinced that she'd gotten the better part of the deal. Jennifer hoped this game would be over soon. Being the mommy was boring – all she could do was stay at home cooking and cleaning until her husband (Emily) and her son (the teddy) came home. Meanwhile, Emily was out having adventures, because she was an "archeologo-ist". It was not fair.

"Hello darling, have you missed me?" Emily said, trying to give her voice a deeper note.

"Yes, my little honey pie. Here's your dinner." Jennifer put the little plastic dishes in front of her pretend husband and watched as Emily "ate" the imaginary food.

"Thank you sweetheart, it was delicious." Emily said, rubbing her belly. "I'm tired, let's go to bed."

Jennifer hated that part.

"Emily? Jennifer? What are you girls up to?"

Because nobody answered her, and it was unusually quiet on the other side of the door, Elizabeth Prentiss went into her daughter's bedroom. What she found there did not amuse her at all.

"Emily!"

"Mommy!"

"Emily, get off of Jennifer at once! What are you doing?"

"Don't be mad, we were just playing. Jennifer's the mommy and I'm the daddy," Emily explained, tearing up.

Jennifer looked from mother to daughter, frightened. Had they done something bad?

"That is not a very nice game to play, sweetie," Elizabeth Prentiss said, her voice much calmer.

"Why not?"

"Because it's not something kids should be doing. It's something only grown-ups do."

"Are we allowed to play princess?" Jennifer piped up.

Elizabeth smiled at the younger girl.

"Of course, sweetheart. Now that's a much more suitable game for little girls. Do you want me to get the tiaras?"

* * *

The pleasant aroma of vanilla-flavored black tea welcomed the two girls in the kitchen. Ian was standing at the stove, apparently making some bacon and eggs, judging from the delicious smell.

"Good morning, you two sleeping beauties."

JJ's face lightened up like a Christmas tree.

"Good morning Ian!"

"Morning," Emily said rather grumpily.

"Do you feel better, Emily? Here, I made you some tea."

"Thank you," mumbled the brunette, feeling somewhat guilty as the dark haired boy handed her a warm cup of the amber-colored liquid.

"Where's Derek?" Jennifer asked.

"He left early, said something about soccer practice. But all evidence of the party is already gone, we made sure of that."

Jennifer went considerably pale around her nose. "How bad was it?"

"Don't worry, we already threw out the garbage, and Derek's vacuumed your living room. Your parents will get their house back as good as new."

"Thank you for saving my life," JJ replied earnestly, and pulled the boy into a hug. Ian instantly wrapped his arms around her slim figure, and as Emily watched them with disgust she couldn't help but be reminded of a spider ensnaring its prey in a tightly woven net.

"I would do anything for you, babe," the spider assured and gave the little fly a quick kiss.

Emily felt sick to her stomach. She had stepped into a freaking soap-opera.

"I… I think I will leave now," she stammered, and spilled some hot tea on JJ's floral blouse. She suppressed a gasp of pain and turned around ready to leave. Jen finally freed herself from Ian's grip and hurried after her friend.

"Emily, wait! I thought you would stay 'til my parents came home. I wanted them to see you after all these years," JJ said catching her breath.

"I…"

But before Emily could come up with a good excuse to leave, the shrill ringing sound of the telephone interrupted them.

"Hey, Jennifer Jareau speaking."

Who could it be? Emily wondered. Surely JJ's parents checking if their offspring hadn't burnt down the house.

"Oh, I see… yes… yes I will tell her… goodbye, Henry."

Henry?

"Emily, Henry just called. He says that your aunt and your two cousins will arrive in less than two hours, and that you better get your ass down there right now. Well, he didn't say _exactly_ that, but it sounded very urgent."

"Oh crap."

Emily had effectively blocked out her aunt's visit from her mind, partly because of yesterday's episode with Derek, but mainly because she hated that woman's guts. She was like her mother, only ten times worse. She disapproved of her younger sister's lifestyle, and she was extremely envious that Elizabeth had inherited their mother's house. Every time she came to visit, she praised her own children and how they'd gotten into the best schools and universities, while at the same time criticizing Elizabeth's parenting skills and predicting a grim future for Emily, who was forced to listen to her endless tirades all evening.

"You completely forgot, didn't you?"

"Yeah… shit, I don't wanna see her. Especially not now, all by myself," Emily whined. "She's horrible, and she hates me."

"Sweetie I bet she doesn't hate you. She's just… she worries too much."

"Ha!"

"Well, she might not be the most fun person to be around, but I'm sure she doesn't _hate_ you, Emily. I mean, who could hate you? You're such a wonderful, intelligent, and caring human being. And you're also a weirdo but that doesn't count," JJ said and grinned brightly.

Emily gulped, welcoming a new sensation in her abdomen, one very different from the usual unpleasant pulls she experienced there. She'd always had difficulties accepting compliments, since they were scarce and usually rendered her speechless, as it was the case now.

"A w-weirdo?" she said, after regaining control over her vocal chords again.

"Yes, my own little weirdo," JJ confirmed, drawing closer and planting a tender kiss on Emily's cheek. "Now, about your family reunion. You might not be a fan of your aunt, but your cousin is gonna be there, right? And you adore him."

Emily stroked the spot where the blonde's lips had made contact with her skin. "Yeah, he's my favorite one. But still…"

JJ looked at her, and there was a hint of hesitance in her voice when she spoke. "Do you want me to come along?"

Emily's eyes opened in surprise.

"You would do that? But... What about your parents, and your house?"

"JJ could leave them a note," Ian's deep voice suggested. The boy seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. "I'll finish cleaning up the kitchen."

"Perfect!" said Jennifer happily. "I'm sure mom and dad don't mind as long as I'm with you. So, what do you say?"

_I say you're the most wonderful person on earth and I love you to pieces._

Of course, Emily didn't say that out loud.


	8. The Necklace

Why did Jen offer to tag along with me? Emily wondered after they had left the blonde's house. It was a clear and radiant, yet chilly day, and the girls were dressed in their winter coats. JJ's was blue, it was the same one she had worn the day they had stumbled upon each other at the bookshop, and that complemented the color of her eyes so flawlessly. Emily's was a soft shade of burgundy, with brown buttons up to the neck. She put her hands in her pockets, and pulled out a tiny package.

"You were so bummed out last night, I thought you shouldn't have to face your aunt alone. That's what friends are for, right?" JJ replied to the unspoken question.

"Right," Emily smiled. "Here, I forgot to give this to you yesterday." She carefully dropped the small object in JJ's open palms.

"What is it?"

"Your birthday present," Emily clarified as Jennifer weighted the package in her hands before unwrapping it in anticipation. "I know it belonged to your grandmother. I thought you should have it back…"

JJ looked at her, endless sadness clouding her lovely features. She put the necklace back inside the little box, and let it slip into the depths of her pocket. "Thank you," she said in a raspy voice and leaned forward to leave yet another kiss on Emily's cheek. The brunette took JJ's left hand in hers and squeezed it affectionately. "It's ok, just let it out," she encouraged kindly, as Jennifer's tears fell one by one on the fresh morning snow, leaving tiny craters on it. They stayed together in a tight embrace for a couple more minutes, until JJ was all cried out.

"Sorry, I don't know what happened. A couple of days ago you weren't here and now you are, and I thought you had lost the necklace by now, and my grandmother is dead, and this is all so confusing…" JJ delivered in between hiccups.

"Shhh, don't worry sweetie, I get it, believe me," Emily shushed her gently, wiping away a last tear from Jennifer's cheek with her thumb. JJ's hiccups became quieter, until they ceased completely.

"Emily?"

"Yeah?" the brunette said softly and brushed some damp strands of hair out of Jen's face.

"I'm sorry but I need to know… why didn't you reply to any of my letters, not once?" Although JJ's tone was neither accusatory nor demanding, Emily knew that this time she had to answer, she owed her friend that much. JJ looked at her with her big blue puppy eyes, and because it was a feeling that one does not experience daily, it took Emily a while to realize that she was scared to death – at the blonde's reaction, and her possible rejection. But most of all, she was afraid of hurting JJ with what she regarded as a huge betrayal of their friendship. Nonetheless, she mustered all her courage and proceeded to explain.

"JJ I… I did reply to most of your letters, but after a while it- it just hurt so damn much, and I only wrote sporadically. The reason you didn't get any of them is… well I never send them. I thought it would be easier if we just broke off any contact… I'm so sorry, I wish I had a better explanation."

"Where are they now?" Jen whispered.

"W-who?"

"The letters, did you keep them?" JJ asked, and Emily was amazed once more at the lack of reproach; it was a candid question, and if anything JJ's posture was the one of an eager child on Christmas morning.

"The ambassador has them, I locked them in a wooden chest before leaving Europe," Emily said, a note of skepticism in her voice as she referred to her mother by her title as a diplomatic official.

"Your mother? You think she could...?" JJ asked hopefully.

The question lingered there unanswered and Emily cringed as she said the following words. "I bet she threw them away along with my other things…"

"Would you… would you ask her next time you speak to her? I would love to read them, even after all these years… only if you want me to, of course."

Emily nodded, this was not the reaction she had expected at all, and the relief that washed over her made her shed some tears of happiness. Now it was JJ's turn to trap Emily into a tight bear hug. They rubbed each other's backs until the blonde lessened her grip a little.

"We should get going. I don't want your aunt mad at you because of me," she said, though reveling in Emily's touch.

"I'd rather stay in the cold for eight hours with you… but you're right," the brunette sighed.

* * *

"Ready?" Emily asked nervously. She had begun to bite her nails again, an old habit of hers that evidently died hard.

"Yes, let's do it," J said reassuringly, reaching for her hand.

Taking one deep breath, Emily rang the doorbell.

"Thank God!" Henry exclaimed as he opened the door. "Your aunt is already here, and she's not pleased. Oh, hi Jennifer! Come on you two, hurry!"


	9. Family Ties

The resemblance between Elizabeth and Roxanne was striking. Both had that dark silken hair Emily and her cousin Erick had inherited, a pair of piercing gray eyes, and thin lips to match their already severe appearance. Roxanne was a little fuller compared to her almost gaunt sister, and she didn't spare make-up or jewelry either. Erick had some of Roxanne's facial features, but his dad's genes had softened them out, and luckily, he had also his grandmother's dimpled mouth and his grandfather's gentle greenish eyes, both traits that underlined his kindhearted soul. His sister Laura on the other hand was the spitting image of her mother, except for her very long, very sleek and very light blonde hair, that went like a cascade over her shoulders and finished just above her bottom.

"Come here, kiddo!" Erick exclaimed, without paying attention to his mother's hiss. Emily didn't need to be told twice. She jumped into her big cousin's open arms, hugging him tightly. Erick kissed her on the head, delighted to see his baby cousin after such a long time.

"You have to tell me everything!" Emily said and beamed at him. "You didn't give me too many details in your last letter."

"I can't wait sweetie. But let go of me please, you're suffocating me," Erick said and laughed cheerfully.

Emily joined in before turning her attention to the two women sitting at opposite ends of the couch. "Sorry. Hi Laura," she addressed the bored looking girl on her right.

"Hello Emily, how are you?" Laura drawled, not managing to conceal the tone of annoyance in her voice.

"Emily, how nice of you to join us dear," Roxanne purred in an insufferable high-pitched voice, another trait that set her apart from Elizabeth.

"I'm sorry aunt Roxie, it has been crazy around here, I completely forgot you were coming," Emily apologized, just a tad miffed by her aunt's mocking tone.

"Always a good excuse ready, don't we?" snarled the older woman, while stretching her arms to study her scarlet fingernails. Her expression shifted quickly when she found no smudges on them, and the self-satisfied smile she displayed showed a flicker of the beautiful young girl she once must have been. However, her face soon went back to normal after she spotted JJ, who was standing behind Emily in a safe distance.

"And who do we have here?" she asked and narrowed her eyes to slits. She waited until the girl hesitantly came forward, and then eyed JJ with a scrutinizing glare that bordered on intrusiveness. The blonde chuckled nervously and smiled, mistaking the staring for genuine interest.

"How rude of you to not introduce us to your friend," Roxanne chanted. "Where are your manners, Emily?"

"Mother!" Erick cried out and rolled his eyes. "Leave Emily alone for once, you're always picking on her."

"Don't defend this kind of behavior, Erick! This child needs to learn some manners before it's too late!"

"I'm sorry," Emily repeated, barely containing her indignation. "Aunt Roxanne, Erick, Laura… this is my friend Jennifer."

"JJ," the blonde said quickly and stepped forward. "I'm JJ, hello. Nice to meet you all."

"No way, little Jen?" exclaimed Erick, recognizing JJ at once. "It's so nice to see you again!" He grabbed JJ's hands and shook them enthusiastically.

"It is nice to see you too, Erick" JJ said, smiling widely at him. She already liked Emily's cousin, though she only remembered him vaguely.

"Aren't you the little Jareau girl?" Roxanne asked casually. As JJ affirmed by nodding her head, Emily's aunt frowned and pressed her lips tightly together, forming a severe line. Nobody except Emily noticed it, and she did not like it at all.

* * *

Thanks to Erick and JJ, dinner didn't turn out to be a complete disaster. JJ had instantly won Erick's heart. The young man was glad that his baby cousin had a close friend around to keep her company and whom she could share her secrets with. He entertained the girls with anecdotes of his freshman year in college and his many travel adventures around the globe, only toning down his vivid account of his brief (and accidental) stay in a Moroccan Harem after Roxanne argued that those topics were not suited for the ears of three young ladies, and that he was putting silly ideas in Emily's head. Jennifer on the other hand smiled adoringly at the young man. He was handsome and smart, and he had a lot of interesting things to tell. Both she and Emily were hanging on his every word.

As the day progressed, Erick was running out of stories to tell his young listeners, stories that were age appropriate, anyways. Sensing the opportunity to engross her niece in a conversation, Roxanne started questioning her.

"So, Emily, how's school? Have you joined any clubs already?"

"Clubs?"

"Yes dear, clubs. Don't you have them in Europe? I'd recommend to join the debate club. The chess club is not bad either, or the drama club… there are so many to choose from, and they always look good on your college application."

"College application? But I still have time for that." Emily did not like where this conversation was heading.

"You have to plan ahead dear, when will you learn that?" her aunt said, impatiently drumming her fingers on the table.

"For God's sake mother, leave Emily alone!" Erick intervened once more.

"You should try and talk some sense into her as well," protested his mother sourly. "Apparently she listens to you. It is never too early to plan your future Emily. And if you want to get into a renowned university like Erick and Laura did, then you should've started to organize yourself years ago. What major are you choosing?"

"I… I don't know. Maybe Literature? I really enjoy it."

"Journalism," stated her aunt, as though she hadn't heard her. "Journalism is an awfully difficult business. If I were you I would become a lawyer, like your dad. Lawyers are always needed."

"Mother…"

"Erick, don't interrupt me, I'm talking to Emily here."

"I suppose it's a well-paid job," Emily said and shrugged, too tired to argue or talk back.

"Oh honey, just get yourself a wealthy man, and you won't have to worry about money for one single day in your life!"

"I prefer to marry someone I love," the brunette said firmly, and Erick gave her a wink of encouragement.

"You silly thing, who said one thing excluded the other?"

"No one but –"

"Do you have a boyfriend yet?" Roxanne asked nosily.

This was the question Emily had been dreading the whole evening, the one that made her feel extremely queasy. Since the breakup with her last boyfriend and everything that had occurred before and after, she just needed to take a break from all the relationship and dating nonsense. Boys were probably the last thing on her mind right now, and she would've told her aunt so, but she knew that would only encourage her to talk about Laura's _marvelous_ boyfriend and his filthy rich parents, the wonderful university he was attending, not to mention his rugged handsomeness. For that reason she muttered "Not yet", hoping it would be enough for her nerve-racking aunt. Of course, it wasn't.

"Come on, there must be some good looking boys at your school. And you're a fairly attractive girl, it should be easy for you to get a boy's attention."

"Oh, I bet there are plenty of boys interested in Emily," Erick joined in, before Emily could silently signalize him to shut up. "I'm sure you're quite the little heartbreaker," he continued to tease her.

"Not really," Emily said and looked at JJ for help, who offered her an apologetic smile.

"What do you mean, not really?" asked Roxanne impatiently.

"I- I want to focus on my studies," Emily said unconvincingly, glancing desperately at the door and praying this would be her aunt's last visit before she graduated from high school.

"Nonsense, a girl your age needs a boyfriend," Roxanne insisted stubbornly. "I bet you just don't want to tell us who he is, am I right?"

"There kind of is… someone."

Roxanne stared at her in expectation, and she wasn't the only one. JJ and Erick both looked up from their plates, and even Laura looked mildly interested.

"W-we kissed," Emily added, before being able to stop herself. Damn this woman and her ability to rip an answer out of even the most introverted person! She hoped that this bit of information would finally get her some peace and quiet, but she was highly mistaken.

"I beg your pardon?"

"It's nothing," Emily said quickly. "He's just a friend of mine. It didn't mean…"

"Oh my dear child," Roxanne said, leaving a pause after each word and then tilting her head back to look at the ceiling in mock exasperation. "A kiss _always_ means something, mark my words. Anyway, does this boy have a name? Is he handsome? A good student?"

Erick shook his head at his mother's inquisitive questions. "I think we should respect Emily's privacy. She obviously doesn't want to tell us more than she already did," he said and patted Emily's arm, attributing her obvious distress to his mother's pesky behavior.

"Nonsense, we are her family. So, Emily, when is this mysterious boy asking you out? Of course, he should've done that before kissing you, but oh well… youth these days, who understands them…"

"Erick's right, I don't wanna talk about it" Emily whispered, remembering JJ's birthday party very clearly. JJ looked at her, worry in her eyes. The brunette smiled weakly at her, signalizing her that she was alright, that she wouldn't burst into tears again.

"Well, how on earth am I supposed to maintain a decent conversation with you, if you don't put any effort in it at all?" Roxanne complained. "Ah, I almost forgot… How are your grades, Emily?"

"Just fine, thank you," Emily replied curtly. She thought her aunt was through with that subject, she wasn't being very original at all.

" _Just fine?_ Where's your ambition? You need outstanding grades and merits; you'll have to excel at everything you do in order to succeed. Do you want to end up working as a schoolteacher?"

"Actually, I want to be a schoolteacher," JJ suddenly said. Emily mouthed a silent "Thank you" in her direction. "I think it's the second most fulfilling job on the planet, and I just love children and their natural thirst for knowledge. I think it's inspiring, don't you?"

For once, aunt Roxanne shut her mouth. Sadly, it didn't take long for her to find another topic she could pester her niece with. The only person who didn't utter a sound all evening was Erick's sister Laura. She was reading a book for one of her classes. The title sounded promising and under normal circumstances, Emily would've asked her what it was about, even if she and her cousin didn't get along very well. Aunt Roxanne however didn't give her a moment's rest. As usual, Erick was the one who saved her.

"Who wants to see a movie?" he threw in, no doubt to save Emily from the fangs of his mother.

"Sorry darling, not this time. I'm still tired from the trip, I think I will just go to bed and rest," Roxanne said and covered her yawns with her hand.

"Me too," Laura said promptly and closed her book, as though she had waited all the time to hear those words from her mother.

"What about you girls?" Erick asked JJ and Emily, winking at them in complicity.

Emily and JJ looked at each other. "We would love to," Emily said. Truth be told, she would've agreed to go skinny-dipping, if that's what it took to disentangle herself from her aunt.

* * *

The ride to the cinema was very enjoyable. Erick had driven to the Prentiss' house in his own car, a red convertible with brand new leather seats. He turned the volume of his radio up, and the girls, who were sitting in the back, sang along to the songs until they were hoarse. Sometimes Erick would join in, his deep pleasant voice harmonized nicely with Emily's mezzo soprano and JJ's angelical tunes. Emily's bad mood from earlier had completely vanished.


	10. Midnight Talks

There was already a long queue at the box office when they arrived, and while JJ and Emily got in line, Erick went to buy popcorn and soft drinks for the three of them. The queue advanced rapidly, and soon it was their turn. Erick handed the snacks to the girls and paid for their tickets; he spoiled his baby cousin whenever he had the chance, which was not often.

They were going to see _Back to the Future II_ , and Emily could not wait to sit in one of the warm cozy seats and watch the sequel of one of her favorite movies with two of her favorite people. She hoped Ian had managed to make the last traces of the birthday party disappear in time, feeling a little bad for leaving him behind. On the plus side, not having to witness his and JJ's smooch parade was a huge bonus. Above all, Emily was glad for Derek's absence; after last night, she didn't know how to be around him. As if her thoughts had reached him through a telepathic connection, said boy suddenly called her name out of nowhere.

"Emily! Hey, Emily!"

Emily turned around and stared at him. "Derek? What are you doing here?"

"Well, the same as you guys, I suppose."

Emily nodded and pushed her hands deep into the pockets of her jeans. JJ registered it with a frown, and she moved closer to her friend, wrapping her free arm protectively around Emily's shoulders. A long embarrassed silence followed, during which neither of them looked at each other. JJ was the first to break it.

"Derek, thank you for helping Ian with the cleaning, that was very nice of you," she said and smiled at the boy, while giving Emily's shoulder a light squeeze.

Derek grinned sheepishly at her. "Don't mention it; it was nice to be useful after…" His voice trailed off and he looked at Emily, who was standing there very stiffly. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

JJ stepped back after Emily gave her a little nod with the head.

"Princess, I can't tell you how sorry I am," Derek started, but she didn't let him finish.

"It wasn't your fault," she objected, relaxing a little. "Morgan, you've got a face like a wet weekend. Let's just forget about this and enjoy our movie, okay? What are you watching?"

"My friends wanna watch that new action movie, I don't even know what it's called," he said evasively. "Emily I… I like you a lot. I hope you know that. You are very special, and you should be treated like a queen. What I did was so wrong on so many levels, I shouldn't have assumed you wanted to… take things further just because you kissed me. Please forgive me."

"I already have," Emily whispered, and a couple of tears poured out of her eyes. She did not want to have this conversation, not here, not now. "Weird, I would've guessed you bought a ticket for _The Little Mermaid_ ," she said, attempting a grin.

"Oh, I'm sure that one was the guy's second choice," Derek said nervously. JJ was eyeing him intensely, her eyebrows raised and her expression serious. If Emily cried, the blonde would blame it on him, no doubt.

"Well… see you tomorrow at school," he finally said and waved a quick goodbye in JJ's direction before slowly shuffling back to his friends, who welcomed him with a big cheer.

"Dude, is that your girlfriend? She's like totally hot," one of them said and patted his back in admiration.

"Blondie's not bad either," another boy commented, ogling JJ with evident lust. "I'd definitely go to third with her."

Derek was angry at his friends' dumb remarks, but he held himself in restraint. "You know what guys? I'm just going home. See you on Monday," he said as cool as he could. As he walked away, he quickly glanced over his shoulder. Emily and JJ were still standing at the same spot, but a young man was with them and he had his arm wrapped loosely around Em's waist. Derek followed them with his eyes until they had disappeared amongst the other filmgoers, his stomach aching in pain.

_That bastard…_

* * *

The movie was a blast, and provided them with enough topics of conversation for their ride home, though the girls did most of the talking. The corners of Emily's mouth lifted when JJ nestled up to her; she smelled of bubblegum and rain, and her soft blonde hair tickled Emily's chin. They doze off for the remaining 10 minutes of the ride, and as soon as Erick pulled over, the door to the house opened and Henry appeared with a flashlight; the path from the driveway to the entrance was poorly lit. How the old man always managed to be on the spot whenever someone needed him was beyond Emily, but it only made her affection for him grow deeper. She had never regarded him as a servant, but as a friend, and in the absence of both her parents, he had become something very close to a father figure for her.

"Jennifer, I have called your parents to inform them you were at the movie theater with Emily, and they granted you permission to stay the night. Mr. Maillet, for you I have prepared a bed in your grandfather's study," Henry said as soon as they were inside.

"Thank you Henry, you are an angel," Emily said and kissed her older friend on the cheek.

"Well, I leave you two girls to chat," Erick said yawning. "It's been a long day, and I still have some important matters to discuss with Henry. By the way, it's just Erick."

"Oh but… alright, Erick it is," Henry said and one could see how he struggled against his uneasiness. _"Good old Henry,"_ Emily thought and her heart swelled with tenderness. She trapped him into a tight embrace and wished him a good night.

Erick chuckled after the elder man had disappeared into the living room. Henry was quite the character, and his genuine interest in Emily's well-being was apparent. He had always had his differences with aunt Elizabeth, but he had never expected the ambassador to leave her still underage daughter in the care of other people as a punishment for her supposed misbehavior. Luckily, Henry and Berta were such good-hearted souls; originally, Elizabeth had planned to hire a nanny who had absolutely nothing sweet about her. In fact, she was more the virago type, and Erick had convinced his aunt to look for someone else, hence hiring Berta.

"Good night, good Sire," Emily said and made a curtsy in Erick's direction.

"We thank you very much for a rather pleasant evening," JJ added solemnly. "We hope that you will delight us again with your presence tomorrow."

The young man responded by taking first JJ's, then Emily's hand in his and kissing them lightly, simulating the perfect gentleman. " _Mademoiselle_ Jareau, Lady Prentiss, always a pleasure," he said and winked at them. "Goodnight, my lovely ladies."

"Goodnight Sir Erick," they chanted in unison.

Erick's amused gaze followed them until they disappeared upstairs. Those two were perfect for each other. He went into the kitchen to grab a cold beer, and afterwards joined Henry in the living room.

* * *

The girls were in Emily's room, talking in a lighthearted manner. The movie had lifted Emily's spirits considerably, and it had been a long time since she had felt so alive, so full of energy.

"What are you doing?" JJ asked and giggled when Emily grabbed her by her hands and swirled her around a couple of times.

"What does it look like?" Emily replied and pulled JJ closer to her, until their noses nearly touched.

"Emily I…"

"You what?" She never intended for her voice to sound as low and raspy as it did; moreover, she did not expect the blonde's knees to suddenly give way. Emily reacted on instinct, wrapping one arm around JJ's waist before she could fall, drawing her body impossibly closer as she helped her to her feet.

"I can't dance," JJ confessed after catching her breath, her flushed face standing out against the rest of her alabaster white skin.

"All the more reason to do it," Emily said and led JJ to the bed so she could sit down for a moment. She then turned the radio of her red flip clock on while turning its volume down; the last thing she needed was for a grumpy and sleep deprived Roxanne to show up in her room in the middle of the night. JJ made a faltering attempt to stand on her own, but her knees shook under her, and Emily gently wrapped her arms around her waist once more to support her. JJ put her own arms around the brunette's shoulders, allowing herself to be guided to the middle of the room.

"Just move to the rhythm of the music," Emily told JJ as they slowly swayed together. "See? You're a natural."

JJ blushed at this unexpected compliment. "That's because you're a good teacher," she cooed and planted a furtive kiss on Emily's cheek.

"T-thank you," Emily mumbled. Her heart was hammering fast against her chest, and she felt ecstatic, almost drunk on joy.

_She drives me crazy, like no one else… She drives me crazy and I can't help myself._

"I love this song!" Emily exclaimed and released JJ to try out a couple of rather wild, but never uncoordinated dance moves. The blonde grinned and joined her, and Emily instantly realized JJ had greatly undervalued her dancing skills; she was actually very good, and she displayed a killer hip shake that made Emily dizzy. A couple of songs later, they both collapsed on Emily's bed, sweaty and tired, but happy. Suddenly, JJ burst out into laughter, and Emily soon followed. It quickly escalated into a laughing fit, and for once Emily was glad her room was the only bedroom at this side of the corridor.

"Ouch," JJ complained, whilst rubbing her belly.

"I know," Emily agreed and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Gosh, I needed that. Thank you."

"For what?"

"Just being you…"

* * *

"I'm not tired yet," JJ said, contemplating herself in the mirror. "Hey, now it's your turn to lend me some clothes," she said happily.

"Help yourself," replied the brunette, silently imploring JJ to not take off her clothes in front of her again. "My clothes are boring, though. In Europe, I had to wear school uniforms, and in my free time, I had to accompany the ambassador to her dinner parties and various events. I haven't got a lot of cool stuff in there like you."

"Are you kidding me?" JJ exclaimed. "These dresses are beautiful. Absolutely stunning," she declared and gasped as she took an emerald green dress with thin straps and net lace from Emily's closet and held it up against her petite figure.

"Try it on," Emily encouraged her. "I bet it will look great on you."

JJ did what Emily had told her, and this time the brunette looked away as her friend undressed, pretending to be searching for something inside the drawer of her desk.

"Could you zip it up, please?"

Emily looked up, her eyes widening in awe. "Wow, you look stunning!" she exclaimed, speaking the absolute truth.

"Thanks," JJ replied with a jovial smile, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink.

Emily got up from her chair and stood behind the blonde, suddenly feeling the urge to hug Jen from behind, and to trace her fingers along the bare skin of her shoulders. She gasped as she felt the JJ's warm skin against her cool hands, and hurriedly zipped up the dress. JJ thanked her and looked at the mirror again.

"I love it."

"Keep it," Emily whispered huskily, unable to look away for even one second.

"Wow. Really?"

"Yeah, it looks better on you anyway."

"Oh Em, thank you," JJ cried out, and hugged Emily so tightly the brunette almost lost balance. "What's this?" she then asked with curiosity, heading to Emily's bed.

"You kept a picture of us all these years?" she said in bewilderment, and gave Emily a funny look. "That's…"

"Weird?" Emily offered with a self-conscious smile.

"I was going to say sweet," JJ said, but there was an uneasiness in her voice that betrayed her words and spoke of severe discomfort, and Emily wondered what she had done wrong. After all, it was not that unusual to have a picture of your best friend on the nightstand, was it?

* * *

Emily and JJ stayed up until past midnight, making up for lost time. After darkness swallowed the day and everything outside went quiet, a ray of moonlight entered the windows, and the girl's conversation turned towards more serious matters. They were laying on Emily's bed, about twenty centimeters apart from one another, blue eyes looking into brown ones.

"I got expelled from my last school," whispered Emily, but still her voice sounded loud in the complete silence of the night.

"Really? What for?" JJ whispered back, slithering a bit closer to her friend.

"Bad conduct," Emily said a little curtly and turned to the other side, away from the blonde. "Anyways, I'm tired. Let's just sleep," she said, and uttered a pretended yawn.

"Okay," JJ agreed, confused as why the brunette had shut her out so abruptly.

"You can sleep here, I'll sleep on the mattress," Emily said and groped her way through the darkness.

"Em, we can both sleep in your bed, it's big enough," JJ protested.

"I'm a blanket snatcher," Emily said and let herself fall on the inflatable mattress that Henry had set up earlier.

"I don't mind. Please, Em. I don't want to be alone. Please?" JJ pleaded, and there was an urgency in her tone that made Emily comply immediately. She crept back under the covers of her bed, and JJ moved over and spooned her, like a child scared of the dark would do with their mother.

Emily woke up approximately two hours later, hearing feeble sobs. She rolled over and saw JJ laying at the edge of the bed, her shoulders rising and falling as she tried to muffle the sounds of her sadness with a pillow. How quickly the tide had turned. Yesterday, they had both been laughing their ears off; and at her birthday party, Jennifer had appeared so strong and well balanced, like nothing could unsettle her. Emily moved closer to her, until she was almost skin to skin with the crying blonde. Supporting her head with her left arm, she timidly started to caress her friend's cheek, until the sounds coming from the blonde were mere hiccups. Emily's heart was beating fast and she could hear the blood pounding against her temple. She didn't remove her hand, moving it on to JJ's hair, her shoulder, her arm, and finally leaving it on her waist. Emily listened to her friend's breathing; it was steady, and she heard the familiar, faint snoring sounds too. Jen had fallen asleep from exhaustion. Emily closed the last millimeters between her and the younger girl and embraced her from behind. She left one hand on the blonde hair and the other on the girl's stomach. JJ moved in her sleep, unconsciously adapting herself to Emily's body frame. Emily rested her head on the pit of Jennifer's neck, nuzzling her nose into JJ's skin. Jennifer's scent reached her nostrils as she breathed in: a smell of peaches, fresh ocean water, and her very own, pure and sensuous perfume, emanating from every pore of her soft skin. It felt so pleasant and familiar, so natural and safe, that Emily's eyes fell close too, and she joined JJ in a night of peaceful sleep.


	11. The First Kiss

It was hard for Emily to concentrate the next day. So much had happened during her weekend, her mind and above all her heart hadn't had enough time to process it all. She asked herself more than just once why JJ had been crying last night, they hadn't really had a chance to talk before school, and Jen had been awfully quiet during breakfast. Her aunt Roxanne and Laura had driven off early in the morning, much to Emily's relieve. Erick had announced that he intended to stay a couple more days, having to take care of some "important business", and Emily couldn't be more thrilled to have him around a little longer. She looked to her right at Derek, but he was staring stubbornly at Ms. Henley as she introduced a new topic to the class. Emily only listened with half an ear and gave up on trying to get Derek's attention. Either he was unusually interested in what Ms. Henley was saying, or he didn't want to talk to her. She scribbled incoherent words in her notebook and prayed that the school day would be over soon, so she could spent some more time with Erick, and maybe JJ too. The bell rang and everyone but Emily went into recess. Derek had been the first one to storm out, before she even had a chance to talk to him. Great. With him gone, she had no one to talk to during school hours. Maybe she could ask Ms. Henley if she could stay in the classroom reading or working on her history paper.

"Excuse me, Ms. Henley, I was wondering..."

Ms. Henley stopped grading her student's papers and looked at Emily through her horn-rimmed glasses.

"Yes, dear?"

Emily felt uneasy as she looked at her teacher's knowing eyes, and decided it was better to leave. "I just wanted to... never mind, I'm sorry I bothered you," she said, and picked up her backpack.

"Emily, wait. Actually, I wanted to talk to you too."

Emily paused her movements; and a thin frown appeared on her forehead. She had always been on time and she never failed to do her assignments. What could Ms. Henley possibly want to talk to her about?

"Yes?" she asked nervously, chewing on her bottom lip.

"As you might know, I'm in charge of the Drama Club, and I wanted to invite you to come and see us rehearse sometime. My gut tells me you would enjoy it."

"Oh... I don't know," Emily said sheepishly. "I've never done such a thing before. Acting, I mean."

"That's OK, there's no pressure. I would be honored if you came and simply watched. You're one of the best students I ever had the pleasure to teach."

"Well... thank you, Ms. Henley," Emily said, taken aback by the honesty in her words. "I will think about it."

"Great. We meet every Friday from 6 to 8 pm in the assembly hall. You can show up whenever you like, it would be great to have you there."

Emily smiled at her teacher, and noticed for the first time how pretty she was behind those old fashioned glasses and her not so youthful dress style that seemed better fitted for a woman twenty years older. Her light brown hair fell onto her shoulders in soft waves and her facial features were very feminine; she had full lips and her green eyes with brown sprinkles radiated with wisdom. Emily realized all of the sudden that she liked Ms. Henley very much.

"I will be there," she promised, earning a bright smile from her teacher.

* * *

Finally, the end of her last period arrived. Emily had already packed her bag, she was prepared if Derek tried to avoid her again.

"Derek, wait! Derek!" she called after him. Man, he was fast. Emily hurried after him, and he finally stopped in the hallway and faced her, not looking too friendly.

"What do you want?" His bitter tone was like a slap in the face, and Emily gasped for air.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Morgan? Yesterday, you seemed very eager to talk to me, and now you act like this? What have I ever done to you?"

Derek laughed. It was an ugly, cheerless laughter that mocked her.

"Well if you don't know… Look Emily, I have to get home okay?" he replied harshly. "Some of us have to work for a living."

It was as if someone had just emptied a bucket of icy water above her head. "Why are you so mad at me?" she asked, her sight turning blurry as her eyes became wet.

"I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at this whole situation. First you start to cry your eyes out while we... and nobody tells me what I did wrong. Then I run into you at the movies, but again, I get no explanation whatsoever..."

"Derek please, don't be like this," Emily begged him. "I just want things to be normal again. I can't explain now, but eventually I will."

"Well, I bet that guy must be very special, you didn't look so sad yesterday when you were with him," Derek spat, revealing the source of his discontentment.

"What guy? What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb, the six feet two inches tall guy I saw you with after I left."

"Is that what this is about? Are you jealous of Erick?" If she wasn't so hurt, Emily would have laughed. This was absurd…

"Jealous? I just don't get why you would go out with a guy like that. He's got some nerves! How old is he, twenty-five, twenty-six? Damn it Emily, he looks like he could be twenty-eight. He is way too old for you!"

"Calm down, people are staring at us!" Emily hissed and signalized him to speak quietly with her hands.

Indeed, a small crowd of students had gathered around them, leering curiously at the scene in front of them.

"I won't calm down! That guy's no good, he will hurt you sooner or later!"

"And you won't..."

"Well, no! Not intentionally! But guys his age..."

"Not that it's any of your business, but Erick is my cousin!" Emily shouted, not caring anymore if they had spectators or not.

"Wait, your what?"

"He is my cousin, and he's twenty-four. And I assure you, he has no intentions of getting into my pants!" Emily whispered furiously, and dragged Derek away from the gazers.

"Oh... your cousin? I'm sorry, Em. I didn't..."

"Well, now you know. And stop acting like I belong to you, I can go out with whoever I please! It's none of your damn business!" she yelled, furious now.

"Em, I'm sorry. It's just that... we didn't really talk after Jennifer's birthday...I feel horrible for what I did, and the fact that you won't talk about it just makes it worse. Please talk to me Emily. Please tell me how to make it all better..."

Emily heard the desperation in Derek's voice, and part of her anger evaporated. What if she just spilled all out, right here, right now? She was so damn tired of keeping secrets…

"I told you already, it's nothing you did," she told Derek, utterly defeated. She couldn't tell him, not just yet.

"Then what is it?"

"I -I can't tell you. I really can't."

"You can't or you won't?"

"Derek please, let it go," she said tearfully.

"Em I need to know, this whole thing is driving me crazy," he implored, but Emily was already sobbing, and Derek felt the urge to smack himself for being so stupid. He had made her cry twice in three days, how great! Emily looked small and frail and had wrapped her arms tightly around herself in a protective manner.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry baby, I shouldn't have pushed you," he apologized sorrowfully.

"Please leave me alone," she whimpered and hid her face behind her hands.

"Em, you're a mess. I'm not going anywhere."

Emily allowed Derek to put his arms around her and sobbed against his shoulder, imagining JJ was holding her. This, instead of calming her down, made her cry even harder.

* * *

**Friday, 6pm**

"Hi Emily, welcome. We were just starting," Ms. Henley said when Emily arrived.

"Hi," Emily replied a little reserved and looked around. She didn't know anyone here besides Ms. Henley. She sat down in one of the front seats of the hall and watched as the play evolved on stage. Oddly enough, it was a play Emily didn't know, in spite the vast amount of time she spent reading. When a boy and a girl who appeared to be the main protagonists kissed each other, she was taken five years back in time, into the living room of her old house.

* * *

**Five years ago, Emily's living room**

"Emily, this feels odd. Are you sure we're doing it right?" the blonde girl asked when their lips separated and both girls gasped for air.

"I'm pretty sure, I saw it on TV. And I did it once, with Paul."

Emily and Jennifer were sitting on a black leather couch with their legs intertwined, and their mouths so close they could feel each other's breath against their skin.

"And what do we do now?" Jennifer asked, doubtful as to whether she wanted to continue playing this "game".

"Well we have to open our mouths. That's how it's done. Do you want to try it?"

"Okay..."

Their lips met again, and when they parted, their tongues touched for a fleeting moment. Emily thought it felt wonderful, but most of all it also felt a little strange, and moistly, and warm. Her sight had become blurry, and she had a very nice fuzzy feeling in her stomach. She had never kissed someone like that before, not even Paul, and she had enjoyed every bit of it. But she wouldn't admit that to her best friend.

"This feels too weird, let's stop," Jen said and separated her lips from Emily's yet again. "I bet we're not doing it right."

"Have you kissed someone before?" Emily asked.

"No."

"Well, maybe that's why it feels weird. Besides, you have to do it with a boy."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right. Do you think it feels good? You know, with a boy?"

"I guess. Why else would anyone do it if it wasn't good?"

"I don't know, maybe because they think they have to?"

"Nobody has to do it, Jennifer, people kiss because they're in love."

"We're not in love, and we kissed."

"We were just practicing for our _real kiss_ with a boy. That's completely different."

"If you say so..."

* * *

The rehearsal was over and though Emily had missed the last scene due to her daydreaming, she had liked it very much. She waited until the students had left, and went over to Ms. Henley to congratulate her.

"Ms. Henley, that was awesome!"

"Thank you Emily. You really think so?"

"Yes, the scenery was beautiful, and the acting was great. It must have cost you a lot of effort to put it all together like that."

"It's nice someone finally appreciates my work," Ms. Henley joked. "Anyways, we will perform this play in two weeks, and I already have an idea for a new one. You are welcome to join us anytime, there's a list outside my office for students who want to try out for a role."

"You mean I would have to…s-speak in front of people?"

Ms. Henley laughed cheerfully. "Well of course dear, unless I happen to choose a silent play. But I very much doubt that will be the case."

"Well... I guess trying doesn't hurt... What play is it?"

"Oh I'm not a hundred percent sure yet, I will think about it over the weekend."

"Alright. See you, Ms. Henley."

"Bye, Emily. I'm really glad you came."

* * *

**Jennifer's house, two days after her birthday**

JJ was laying on her bed waiting for fatigue to overcome her. Her parents were back from their short trip, and they had brought some presents along with them, but she hadn't felt any joy, neither for her parents return, nor for the presents. Not even her mother's chocolate cake with orange slices on top had managed to cheer her up. It was as delicious as always, but for some reason she could only eat a single piece.

"What's wrong, darling?" her mother had asked, while her father had silently looked at her with his bright blue eyes.

"Nothing mom, I'm just tired."

"Well honey, better go to sleep then," her dad had suggested, kissing her affectionately on her forehead.

"Good night, pumpkin."

"Good night, daddy. Good night mom."

"Sleep well, my little one."

But JJ couldn't sleep. Her mind was working like a machine that lacked a stop button and rattled along without any direction or purpose. She thought about a lot of things, but mostly, she thought about Emily. What would happen now that her best childhood friend was back? She already felt the same intimacy around her they had shared when they were kids, even though Emily had only been back in her life for a couple of days. Of course, she had other girlfriends, but with them it wasn't the same. If they were to move miles away, she would most certainly forget them sooner or later. JJ closed her eyes. Her hands found their way under the blanket and into the pants of her pajamas. She traced her fingertips over the fabric of her cotton panties, gradually applying more and more pressure, until a well-known dampness soaked through the thin material, smearing on her fingers. Her sweaty hand wandered inside her undies, creating a vibrant sensation that crept from her core into her whole body as she rubbed against her lips and button. Images floated through her mind; she saw Ian and other boys she had liked when she was younger, the piano teacher she had had a crush on, the little boy that kissed her in kindergarten... and then she saw Emily. Emily talking to her, smiling at her, hugging her... both sleeping together like sisters... She opened her eyes, convinced that she would see Emily laying beside her, and quickly shut them again when she didn't. However, she saw her before her inner eye, laying at her side and watching her as she drove herself to climax. Jennifer let out a small cry of ecstasy as her muscles clenched around her fingers.


	12. Paris

Days and weeks passed quickly, and soon the final exams approached, keeping all students busy studying, some more than others. For the first time in her life, Emily was thankful her parents had hired private teachers to home-school her. It was a burden growing up, because she had to put up with both her regular schoolwork and the additional load of work from them, but she surely had learned a lot in the process, and now she could relax while her classmates buried themselves in their books. Emily did that too, but she read for pleasure; and she would meet with JJ as often as possible, now that both of their time schedules were less tight. She had not talked to Derek again about 'that thing', and they almost were back to normal. A tiny uneasiness was still present when they were alone together, and so Emily made sure whenever they went out, JJ would join them.

Today was the last day of school, and Ms. Henley had already announced that she would publish the cast of the new play, whose title was still a mystery to all of them. Emily approached her teacher's office to see which role she had gotten. She didn't know who else signed up for the play, for she had been the first one to write down her name, and later they had called them in separately for auditions. Emily looked at the two words that were typed in capital letters above the name list. They were French, _Les Misérables,_ 'the miserable ones', if she was correct. She quickly scanned the list; there were only a few female leading roles, and she had gotten one of them! A jolt of euphoria went through her body when she found JJ's name two lines below hers. Finally, they would be able to see each other at school! However, Emily's happiness faded away when she read the name below her friends'. Ian Lewis. Crap! With her luck, he would surely play JJ's love interest or something like that. This should be fun, she thought grumpily. Not only had she endured Ian's presence often enough when she was with JJ, now she would have to witness them holding hands (and who knew what else) at Drama Club too, a place that she had hoped would be a kiss free zone.

Ms. Henley had said that she wanted every one of them to pick up a copy of the script, which contained the dialogue, a summary of the events, and the background to the story. They were supposed to read it during the holidays. Emily would spent them in France, where her mother was currently stationed; not because she was dying from nostalgia, but because the ambassador expected her to, and she had already bought a plane ticket for her. Since Christmas was just around the corner, her father would make his obligatory appearance along with his new wife and Emily's two older half siblings from his first marriage, and Emily knew Elizabeth only wanted her to be around for moral support, so she wouldn't have to face all four of them alone. Emily would've preferred to stay with Henry and Berta, but her mother had made it very clear that was not an option. Two weeks without seeing JJ...

* * *

The flight was long and boring, and luckily, Emily spent most of the time sleeping, only waking up after a stewardess gently shook her to remind her to put her seatbelt on while the plane landed. She gathered her luggage and looked out for her mom, who had promised to pick her up. Emily wouldn't be surprised if she'd forgotten, or simply sent someone else. In the worst case, she would have to take a cab.

"Surprise!" someone yelled behind her.

"Erick!" Emily cried and jumped into his arms. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Aren't you glad to see me?" he asked, pretending to be offended.

"Of course, stupid!" she said and laughed. "What brings you to Paris? And don't say you only came to pick me up, because I won't believe you!"

"I had a couple of days off and I decided to visit my favorite cousin, is that so hard to believe?"

"No," Emily said and chuckled. "Did you come alone?" she asked, glancing worriedly over her shoulders to see if she could spot another member of the Maillet clan.

"Don't worry, mom and Laura stayed at home, and dad has to work. We are alone," he reassured, laughing at Emily's face of relieve. "Shall we go now, little cousin? Your folks are expecting us." He linked arms with her, and they walked out of the airport together.

* * *

Emily had settled down in her mother's luxurious apartment, which she secretly thought of as pretentious, but she still wasn't thrilled about spending the holidays with her, even with Erick around. She had asked the ambassador about the letters, remembering JJ's request; but as expected, her mother had told her she had thrown them away in the assumption Emily had no use for them anymore.

Anger welled up inside her as she recalled how her mother had greeted her: she had asked to see her report card, and as always, not even the best was good enough for her; she had reprimanded Emily for two A- she had gotten, the only two grades that stood out against a long list of A's. Emily was already used to it, but it still hurt. She didn't want to admit it, but her heart longed for some motherly affection, a hug, a kiss, or even a tender word. Most of all, she wanted her mother to be proud of her, and say so. But it seemed that it was more likely she would win ten million dollars in the lottery before the ambassador would do that. Emily sighed deeply and decided it was time to have _that_ talk with her. She had been thinking about it since the plane ride to Paris, and she had made her mind up already; so she went to her mother's office, took a deep breath, and knocked three times.

"Mother? Do you have a minute?"

Elizabeth stopped typing and looked distractedly at her daughter standing in the doorway of her home office.

"Yes, Emily?"

"I just… it's been a while since we talked to each other."

"Yes… I've been busy… forgive me… where's this damn folder?"

Emily spotted a blue folder on the carpet. "You dropped it, mom. It's on the floor," she said, pointing at it.

"Oh. Thank you, Emily," Elizabeth said and picked it up. "I'm sorry, what did you want to talk about?"

"Well I… I've been thinking… I want to graduate early and go to college."

For the first time since Emily had entered the room, Elizabeth Prentiss looked up from her papers and directly at her sixteen year old daughter.

"Excuse me?"

"Yes mother, you heard right, I want to go to college," Emily repeated, her voice trembling slightly. "I'm not learning much at school, and there's a good college just a few miles away from home. I could drive there myself."

The older woman gave her a scrutinizing look without saying anything. Emily was so nervous she wanted to storm out, but she forced herself to hold her mother's intense gaze.

"Have you talked to your father about this?"

"No," Emily admitted sheepishly.

"Do you think he would agree to something like that?"

"I don't know. Why does it even matter? Since when do we ask for his permission?"

"He's your father, and as you well know we have joint custody of you. Like it or not, he does have a say in this. You're finishing school there like everyone else, and that's final."

"You can't force me to, I'm talking to the teachers and the principal to see if it's possible for me to graduate with this years' seniors. I don't want to waste my time, and neither of you can stop me," Emily spat, and clenched her hands into fists.

Elizabeth remained remarkably calm. "If you don't wish to include us in your decision, then why did you come to talk to me? You are too young to go to college, do I have to remind you what happened the last time you decided it was a good idea to mingle with college students?"

"No, I haven't forgotten," Emily whispered, tears sprinkling in her eyes.

"Then you should understand why my answer is no. I think it would be best to not to bother your father with this, you know he doesn't react well to that particular _incident_."

"Incident? Is that how we are calling it now? Mother, what happened wasn't my fault," Emily said, now sobbing hard.

"Emily, please, I have to get this files done by tomorrow," the ambassador said, her demeanor unaltered by her daughter's sobs.

Emily didn't move, it was as if something was tearing her chest apart and ripping her heart out. Elizabeth got up from her seat and handed her a handkerchief, gently pushing her towards the door. The girl turned around and hugged her mother tightly, yearning for the much needed consolation. The ambassador's arms hung limply at her sides while her daughter sobbed uncontrollably against her chest. Elizabeth was getting impatient, and after Emily's sobs had ebbed away, she freed herself from her daughter's embrace, but Emily didn't want to let go, and she hugged her mother even tighter.

"Emily, stop it, you're way too old for this kind of behavior."

The teenage girl looked at her mother through watery eyes; the pain in her chest was back tenfold.

"But…"

"Emily, I have to work," Elizabeth said and sighed deeply, brushing Emily's tears away with her fingers.

Emily nodded and sniffled one last time before turning around and leaving. She went to her room, threw herself on the bed and cried like she never had before.

* * *

**One week later, somewhere in Paris**

"Just tell me where we are going," Emily grumbled. She was not a big fan of surprises.

"Shh, wait and see," Erick said, acting very mysteriously.

"Ok, but you are paying for drinks," she told him.

"Nice try, but no. You can have a coke, but we grownups won't share our drinks with you."

"Oh shut up, I'm almost seventeen, I can have a drink… or two."

"How about none," Erick said, ruffling her hair and squeezing her to his chest. "You don't have to drink in order to have fun, you know."

"Yeah, but I don't like being left out," Emily said and moaned in protest. "It's bad enough my mom treats me like a child."

"God, you're a little pest. Fine, one beer! But nothing else, I don't want aunt Liz to roast me alive."

"Thanks, you're the best!" she said happily and planted a quick kiss on her cousin's cheek.

"And you're impossible," Erick said and laughed, while wiping her saliva away with his hand. "Here we are, meet the coolest gay bar in town."

Emily stopped and looked at him like he had just told her they were going to visit Santa's elves and his talking reindeers.

"G-gay bar?" she stuttered. "Why on earth should we go into a gay bar?"

"Well…" Erick started, searching for the right words. "I waited a long time to tell you this, and honestly I didn't want to be this straightforward, but… well I'm gay." He held his breath as he waited for his cousin's reaction.

"What?" Emily exclaimed. "What do you mean, gay?"

"I like boys… men," Erick explained.

"I know what it means, it's just… I always thought you had girlfriends… a girlfriend."

Erick gave her a sad smile. "I'm afraid that's what I made my parents and everyone else believe. See, I wasn't comfortable with it myself, so I kept it a secret, even from you. I'm sorry."

"I'm glad you're telling me now," Emily said encouragingly, having found her normal tone of voice again. "It's totally cool."

"Really?"

"Of course," Emily assured him with a smile. "Let's go inside already, my ass is freezing off."

And with that, she took her older cousin's hand and pulled him inside the bar.

* * *

**A couple of days later, Elizabeth Prentiss' apartment in Paris**

Erick and Emily were sitting in the living room watching the news.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you, my friend Emma was quite smitten by you and she asked for your number. Do you want me to give it to her?" Erick asked casually. One look at his little cousins' face, and he knew he would need to approach this in a different, more delicate manner.

"Relax; she's not going to assault you. I told her you're sixteen and off-limits. She just wants to sit down and talk, maybe grab a coffee or something."

"What? No! Why would I want to talk to her? I don't even know her!" Emily felt somewhat nauseous; she didn't want to be alone with a girl who was obviously attracted to her, but at the same time, something strong twirling inside her urged her to accept the invitation.

"Like I said, she just wants to get to know you. She wants to help," Erick said in what he hoped would be a soothing tone of voice. He was wise enough to keep quiet what Emma had really told him.

" _Why didn't you tell me your little cousin was that cute? You have to give me her number, I'm taking her out!"_

"Help me with what? I'm fine, I don't need any help," Emily said, raising her voice.

"Em, you don't have to go out with her. Just say the word and I will tell her you already have other plans."

"It's just… why me? I'm not… why did she assume I was…? I like boys," Emily muttered, more to convince herself.

"Sweetie, she didn't assume anything, she simply took a guess. We were together sitting in a gay bar after all."

"Well, there's no way in hell I'm going out with her! Just make something up, don't give her my number! I mean, don't give her my mother's number… just don't talk to her about me at all!"

"I won't," Erick said softly and kissed her on the head. "Don't worry."

Bits of his conversation with Emma passed through his mind. Maybe it was better if Emily didn't go out with her…

_"Erick, you're a prick, I hope you know that. A little heads up would've been nice, you know how much self-control it took to not stare at her the whole night? She's totally hot!"_

_"Hey, you're talking about my cousin here! My baby cousin. I told you she's just sixteen, and she's frightened. She doesn't know she likes girls yet."_

_"All the more reason to show her…"_

_"Emma!"_

_"Ok, ok, sorry, I'm shutting my pie hole right now. But it's a shame, you know. I could've taught her things… many things…"_

Yes, definitely better.

* * *

Emily was laying in her bed with her eyes wide open. Tomorrow, she would fly back to her home, to Henry, Berta, JJ and Derek. She couldn't get the conversation with Erick out of her head, and honestly, it was bothering her. She had never really had doubts about her sexuality or her sexual orientation; she had had her first boyfriend at thirteen, and many had followed. Had she been in love with them? She didn't know, but she knew she had loved each one of them. She thought about Emma and Erick. If Erick didn't think she could be gay too, why did he even pass on Emma's request? Why didn't he just tell her his cousin was straight and that she would be wasting her time? And what about Emma, didn't homosexuals recognize each other? Emily was getting a stomachache; she just couldn't be like that, she didn't want to. She closed her eyes firmly and tried to think of something else, but Emma's face kept showing up. Her stupid brain repeated everything the French girl had said and done in an endless playback: Emma's funny jokes, her cute accent, the way she had kissed her goodbye on the cheek while resting her hands on her waist… Emily opened her eyes and growled angrily. Yes, she had found Erick's friend smart and attractive and funny, but that didn't mean anything, right?


	13. The Crime

The small town was not fully awake yet, and the pink sky was still harboring last night's secrets. The first shop owners were opening their businesses, and despite of the wintry night, some birds were already singing. The wind swept lonely over the deserted pavements, encountering only dirt on its way. Somewhere, the owner of a little kiosk near the cinema was slurping his morning coffee, while reading today's headlines in a freshly printed paper. He leafed through it, and stopped at a headline that shocked him severely. 'Seventeen year old girl found murdered'. It had happened in this very town.

JJ yawned. It was 9:20 am and she had to sit through the most boring subject ever invented by mankind. Or rather, she had to listen to the most boring teacher alive, Mr. Drakes. He would have probably won the contest of "Slowest Speaker", if there had been one. A sentence took forever to get out of his mouth, and his tone was so monotone and drowsy that his students always fell into a sort of lethargy after he started talking. But well, she couldn't complain, she had a free period afterwards, and she was going to see Emily. The brunette had gotten back from France on Saturday, and she and JJ had spent all Saturday evening and most of Sunday morning at Emily's house, watching movies and having endless talks. However, there was something Emily had kept to herself; she hadn't mentioned neither Erick nor Emma.

Jennifer had spent her holidays at home with her parents, as nobody had really wanted to go away. Jennifer's grandparents had visited for Christmas, all four of them, and her aunts and uncles with their children too. JJ enjoyed the company of her family, but she hated being the youngest cousin; everyone was constantly fussing over her and giving unasked advice, and during this time of the year what she wanted most of all was to be left alone. Her parents had given her the best Christmas present of all: it didn't come in a fancy box or a beautiful packaging, but it breathed, and it moved, and it was very much alive. Jennifer had squealed after seeing the tiny fur ball with even tinier paws and ears, and blue eyes like herself. She named the kitten "Luna" and bought her a comfy little bed which she put in her room near the radiator. Luna had grown over the holidays, and JJ couldn't wait for Emily to see her.

Both girls had started to read _Les Misérables_ after Christmas, and Jennifer was just missing the last two pages. Overall, she had liked the play, but what she didn't know until reading it was that it was a musical. Her singing abilities were not bad, she sometimes sang in the church choir, but that was something entirely different from singing in front of 600 students and teachers. She and Emily had agreed to practice their dialogues after school. JJ had wanted to invite Ian too, but she sensed that her best friend was not too fond of him, and so she decided to meet with him on another occasion. Finally! That was the bell ringing. Jennifer jumped from her seat, along with the other twenty-something students in her class, causing Mr. Drakes to startle and interrupt his monologue. "What? This late already? Well, have a good day and see you tomorrow..."

"Bye, Mr. Drakes!" JJ chanted on her way out. She felt like nothing could ruin her day, but little did she know a raging storm was awaiting her.

* * *

"I'm sorry, we have instructions to keep all students inside today until their parents come to pick them up," said the watchman at the school entrance. He didn't care Jennifer only wanted to go to the adjacent building where Emily and the other juniors and seniors were, his answer was still no. JJ thought it was rather strange. Usually the older students were allowed to move between campuses if they had a pass. Damn, she had been so eager to see Emily since the early morning, and now she would have to wait until the afternoon. She went back to the cafeteria and sat down with a chocolate covered doughnut and a hot coffee, hoping to at least read the remaining pages of the play. The cafeteria was more crowded than usual, but the chatter was quieter, almost reserved, and JJ soon gave up on the script and turned her attention towards the students around her. Some of them were eating, or doing their homework, but most of them seemed deep in conversation, and there was less laughter and joking around than on a normal day. The atmosphere seemed somehow tense, but JJ couldn't explain why. She decided to join some of her classmates to learn what was going on.

"Hey JJ," a redheaded girl greeted her.

"Hi Liza," JJ said, looking into nothing but serious faces.

"Sit with us JJ," a blonde boy at Liza's left offered.

"Thanks, Thomas," JJ replied, and took the seat on his right.

"So, did you hear already?" Liza asked. She looked pale and agitated, like JJ had never seen her before.

"No, what's the matter? Why aren't we allowed to go out? Did something happen?"

"Here, see for yourself," Thomas said, and handed her a pretty crumpled piece of paper. JJ opened it, and she didn't have to search long to find the headline everyone seemed to know about except her. 'Seventeen year old girl...' she began reading quietly, and suddenly she spluttered her still undigested doughnut and her coffee all over the table. This could not be true! At the other building, another girl was reacting in a quite similar way to this news.

* * *

"Shit!" Emily exclaimed, suddenly wanting to throw up right on Derek's shoes.

"That bastard," Derek said, clenching his fists. "I hope they find him soon."

Emily staggered, and Derek managed to hold her arm before she could fall down.

"Em are you alright?" he asked worriedly. His friend had become deadly pale, and her hand which he was holding was icy cold. Derek took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders, while simultaneously rubbing her fingers. Slowly, a little bit of color came flooding back to Emily's cheeks.

"I... that could've been any girl..." whispered Emily, looking terrified.

"Em I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you, I promise. I'll pick you up every morning if I have to."

Emily rambled on as though she hadn't heard him. "It could've been JJ... the girl was blonde like her... Where is she, she was supposed to meet me here… What if… no, not JJ, please, not JJ…"

"Shh, JJ's fine, Emily. I saw her this morning."

"I have to go and find her, I have to talk to her..." Emily said and tried to get up, but her legs faltered beneath her. Derek didn't expect her to be so shaken up about this; sure, it was terrible, a horrendous crime that had happened under their very noses, but still – Emily hadn't even known the girl, and things like this happened on an everyday basis all around the world. Which didn't make them less awful, of course.

* * *

"Honey? Dinner's ready!"

The man closed his eyes and tried to block out the shrill sound of that wretched creature that called herself his wife.

"How inconsiderate of you, my darling," he whispered, his teeth exposed in a gruesome grimace. "For you, I have something rather special planned," he said and started humming the nursery rhyme his mother had sung to him as a little boy. "You will be my _chef d'oeuvre_."

Time, he needed time to plan everything meticulously. Sheryl wasn't the brightest being to have walked on this earth, but she wasn't dumb either, and if he wanted to dispel her growing suspicions, he would have to act fast. After his newest stunt, he had three more to go to reach his magic number, but he had to choose wisely: not everyone of their kind was worthy of his love.

He unfolded the map and studied every tiny red dot he had marked on it; those were the places he had to seek out, anything else was too risky. In the past, he had deviated from his plans only once, and it had almost cost him his freedom; a mistake he wasn't going to repeat.


	14. Getting Closer

"She's super cute!" Emily exclaimed, and picked Luna up. The kitten protested, craving the warmth of her bed. "She's so cute I wanna eat her alive. Yes I do, yes I do," Emily said while petting the little one until she purred happily.

"Didn't I tell you? Oh my God, I love her so much," JJ spoke softly, seizing Luna and placing her gently on her lap. Both girls looked at the tiny feline as she first stretched and then curled up, still purring incessantly like a little machine.

Emily took a glimpse outside the window, and her heart constricted when her eyes were met with pitch-black darkness. "JJ?" she said, her voice considerably higher than usual.

"Yeah?" Jennifer responded lazily, continuing to lavish Luna with affection.

"I'm afraid to go home alone," the brunette confessed.

"Who said you were going anywhere? You're staying here with Luna and me."

"Am I now?" Emily said and chuckled, relief washing over her.

"Yes, you are. Definitely. No arguments, Prentiss, you'll do as I say," JJ said and stretched, and Emily thought she looked just like another kitten herself.

"Fine, but only because of Luna."

"Like if she even cares, she's asleep," JJ said, looking lovingly at her little foster child. "Emily, what happened to your face?" the blonde suddenly asked, and her small gasp made Luna's ears twitch.

Emily touched her lips with her index finger, and was met with a thick sticky liquid. "Oh, it's nothing, I sometimes bite my lip too hard and then it bleeds."

"Here, let me wipe it off," JJ said, and gently did so with the sleeve of her sweater. Luna protested as she was rudely awoken and landed on the floor with her four tiny paws, meowing in protest. Emily held her breath, JJ was standing so close to her...

"My parents don't want me to go out by myself until they find whoever did it," JJ told Emily, leaning in closer to get the last drops of almost dried blood.

"Henry doesn't want me to get out by myself either," Emily informed her friend. "He is always driving me now, it's kind of annoying, I feel like a child."

"At least you get to go out," Jennifer said and sighed. "My dad doesn't want me to leave the house at all, and if it were up to my mom, she would lock me in a tower like Rapunzel."

"Henry could drive you," Emily offered. "I bet he would be more than happy."

"Maybe it won't be necessary, maybe they caught him already… or her," the blonde said hopefully. She had finished cleaning up Emily's face, and was now intensely looking into her friend's eyes, before retreating two steps backwards.

"You should probably wash your face, I couldn't get all of it off," she said, and stared at Emily's lips, that were a dark shade of red. Emily hadn't noticed JJ's fierce gaze. If she had, she probably wouldn't have licked her lips in order to erase the last traces of blood. It happened very quickly. Jennifer closed the distance between them once again, and kissed her. It was a short and chaste kiss that was over too quickly; JJ's lips had barely touched hers. Afterwards, Emily thought that maybe they hadn't, that she only had felt the air caressing her wounded flesh; but then why was her heart pounding so fast, and why did her insides feel like they had just been incinerated?

Her flesh stung where she had bitten herself, and Emily placed her cold fingers on her lips to soothe them. What the hell had just happened? She looked over at Jen; she had never seen someone looking so terrified.

"Emily, I'm so sorry," JJ whispered, looking away. "I don't know why I did that."

Emily gulped. "Maybe you're a vampire, and you wanted to taste my blood to check if it was nourishing," she joked, hoping to make JJ feel better, and instantly succeeding at it. The younger teen's face brightened up, and she gave Emily a hesitant smile. Emily smiled back at her, trying to tell her friend that everything was alright, that she wasn't upset at all. In reality, she was as much shaken as JJ, or maybe even more.

* * *

Neither of them mentioned the kiss again, instead, both acted as though it had never happened. Nine days had passed since the seventeen year old girl had been found murdered, and there was still no suspect. All male citizens seemed to have rock solid alibis, and a female offender had been ruled out after the lab results came back. JJ didn't know what to do anymore, she felt trapped in her own house, and whenever Henry allowed Emily to stay with her, there was always at least one adult present to watch over them. JJ's parents were more than thrilled that their daughter's friendship with Emily had persisted through time. While she looked happy when she was with other kids her age, they had never seen her as happy as now; she was simply glowing. JJ's mom and dad were becoming Emily's surrogate parents, and Emily loved them dearly. They were all her own parents weren't: warm and caring, and they showered their daughter with love and affection.

Another week passed, and it soon became evident that the police was totally in the dark. The few suspects had proven their innocence, and the witnesses' testimonies had led to dead ends. Jennifer's parents had loosened their surveillance a little bit, realizing they would not be able to shield their daughter from all evil.

Principal Simmons had set up special self-defense courses for girls, and every student was strongly advised not to be out on the streets alone after dark. Derek kept his promise, dogging Emily's and JJ's every step, which was bad enough, but what made it even worse was that he did it together with Ian. Emily knew she should be thankful for them caring so much, but it did feel like she and JJ couldn't be alone anymore, and it had been days since they'd had a sleepover.

* * *

He was furious. Sheryl, that stupid bitch, had booked a table at a restaurant for them, just because it was their fucking anniversary.

"You look stunning, honey," he told Sheryl sweetly. After all, he could not afford to blow his cover.

"Thank you," she said and blushed. "What's gotten into you lately?" his wife then asked. "You've never called me that, not even on our wedding night."

His lower jaw twitched dangerously, an unequivocal sign he was losing his patience. He quickly composed his face, and thought about what he would do to her when the time was ripe. This made having to look at her hideous face more bearable, and he actually managed to smile at her.

"It is our anniversary, it _is_ important," he said, and Sheryl gave a little shriek of joy when he fished a tiny box out of his pocket and opened it in front of her, revealing a beautiful golden necklace. The dumb tramp was so engulfed with the piece of jewelry, she didn't notice how his eyes wandered about the room, stopping at a table with two young women.

He estimated them to be in their early to mid-twenties, at least the brunette, maybe the redhead was a couple of years older. But age and physique was trivial, what really mattered to him is that the girls were leaning over the table and holding hands as if they were lovers. He discreetly looked around, but nobody else seemed to be bothered by this indecent behavior. It was outrageous how low the moral standards of society had sunk. But he, he would set it right. It was his God-given mission.


	15. Almost A Date

Emily looked at her flip clock. It was half past midnight. She got up and quickly threw some clothes on, before getting into her coat and shoes. Having been confined to her home during the past weeks, she was desperately longing for some freedom. She missed wandering around the city on her own to simply watch people passing by; or reading a good book in the park, surrounded by the whispering trees.

Jen had promised to meet her half-way up the road. Of course Emily was terrified, but the allure of the forbidden was stronger, and so was her desire to be with JJ in an unmonitored setting where they just could be themselves.

Besides, she wasn't completely unprepared; she had taken a hammer out of the toolbox and the acidly spray Berta used to clean the bathroom, and had stowed them in her backpack along with an umbrella in case it rained.

Her heart was pumping hard against her chest as she carefully opened her window and climbed out. After she landed on the grass with both feet, she pulled her hat down her forehead and sneaked to the garage to get her bike. The tires were a little flat, but now she didn't have time to pump them. Emily mounted her bike and started pedaling. She didn't notice the black car that followed her.

JJ enjoyed the sensation of the cool wind blowing against her face as she rode her bike through the lonely streets. The ride shouldn't take more than five to eight minutes. She closed her eyes and let the breeze caress her face in blissful anticipation. Unlike Emily, she had successfully suppressed her fear, and she felt free, almost ecstatic.

She spotted a bright light in a short distance that approached rapidly, and seconds later she could make out Emily's dark hair and her red coat. JJ hit the brakes and waved at her friend. The girls unmounted and hugged each other quickly before locking their bikes. Jennifer took Emily's hand and they walked along the illuminated streets together, feeling totally safe in each other's presence. A small voice in the back of Emily's head told her that what they were doing was foolish, but she quickly silenced it and squeezed JJ's hand tightly. The blonde smiled at her. A new sensation spread from Emily's stomach through her whole body, and even if she couldn't describe it, she didn't want it to ever go away.

* * *

"What are we doing at the movies?" Jennifer had followed Emily blindly, and now she was staring at the flickering neon signs, thinking the empty movie theatre looked spooky in the middle of the night.

"Just wait and see, it's worth it," was Emily's mysterious response. "Come on." She took her friend's hand and rubbed little circles on its palm with her thumb as she guided the younger girl to the back entrance of the building. She paused at the door and cast a quick sideways glance at JJ to ensure she was fine, as her hand was a little shaky.

Emily opened the door and slipped through it, waiting for JJ to follow. "Are you coming?" she asked kindly, when the blonde did not move.

"Are you sure we're allowed to do this?" JJ whispered, even though there was no one near them.

Instead of answering, Emily stepped back outside and reached for JJ's hand once more. "We are today," she then said, while gently pulling the blonde inside. "You could say I have a special authorization."

"Really?" JJ asked, and her quizzical face reflected a hint of uneasiness. "What if we get caught?"

Emily feigned to think about JJ's concern for a bit. "In that case, just say I tricked you into doing this," she then said, grinning. "I give you full permission to blame it on me."

"Okay, then." JJ flashed a shy smile at her, and Emily's fingers fastened around the blonde's arm. She led JJ through a fairly lit corridor, towards a door that looked like an emergency exit. Emily pushed it open and went through, with JJ following her closely.  
"There, the stairs," she said "Let's go up."

JJ gasped when they arrived at the rooftop. Emily hadn't made false promises, the view was indeed breathtaking. You could see the whole town, which at this time of the night looked like a reflection of the starry sky, with all the lit up streetlights and the lights flashing out of some of the windows. JJ thought that the air smelled very pleasant and clean, but then her nose picked up an entirely different scent; it was sweet and enticing, and it was making her giddy. She turned around and smiled at Emily.

"Thank you for doing this. I honestly never saw the city like this, it's beautiful."

"It's the best panoramic view there is," Emily replied, reciprocating the smile. "I found out by accident."

"I'm glad they don't lock the door, I bet a lot of couples come here on romantic dates," JJ said, her face thoughtful.

Aware of what she had just implied, she shut up, but Emily was already blushing. Luckily for her, the darkness hid it. There was an awkward moment of silence, and then a small gust of wind made them shiver and bury themselves deeper into their coats.

"Will you hold me?" JJ asked out of the blue, looking shyly into Emily's eyes.

"H-Hold you?" Emily stammered in confusion, yet her body was already moving in JJ's direction.

"Yes please, I'm cold. Please hold me," JJ repeated, and there was something in her voice that made Emily want to grant her this wish, and all the wishes that were to come. She went over to the younger girl and timidly wrapped her arms around her from behind, holding her in a loose embrace. JJ snuggled against her, which encouraged Emily to clasp her hands around JJ's stomach, albeit a little clumsily.

"Thank you," whispered the blonde, and rested her head against Emily's chest. They stood like that for a while, without uttering a word, just silently gazing at the city lights and the stars. When the wind became too chilly, they finally broke their embrace. JJ allowed Emily to escort her back inside, expecting they would now return to their bikes and ride home. But instead of going left and leaving through the back entrance, Emily turned to the right once they were back in the corridor, and fumbled a key from her pocket, which she used to open a locked door that undoubtedly opened directly to the movie theatre.

"Emily, what are you doing?" JJ asked, and her question was followed by a quiet hiss. "I'm not breaking in!"

"Just trust me on this one," Emily replied with confidence, looking back over her shoulder to make sure JJ was behind her. "Like I said, today I have a special authorization."

"You're talking in riddles," JJ said and sighed, but nonetheless she followed Emily, or rather, the trail of the brunette's perfume, since it was too dark to see her properly. JJ's eyes had slowly adapted to the darkness, and once she could discern her surroundings again, she realized she was inside the projection room. Emily made a solemn gesture in the direction of the red leather seats.

"You may sit down now, my Lady," she said theatrically.

"What for? Emily, I don't understand – they're not screening a film at an hour normal people sleep, and even if they did, we didn't pay to be here, we shouldn't -"

"Wait here for me ok? I'll be right back," Emily said and squeaked with glee, her eyes glowing with some sort of frenzied reverie.

"Emily, you're scaring me. What do you mean you'll be right-"

But Emily seemed to have vanished right from where she'd been standing.

"-back?" JJ finished her sentence, annoyed at her high-pitched voice.

Ten minutes had passed and there was still no sign of Emily, and JJ sunk deeper into her seat to make herself invisible. What if Emily was already on her way home, having decided it would be funny to leave her here as some sort of a crude joke?

"No," she reproached herself. "Em would never do such a thing."

Hurtful jokes and mean pranks were Jeff's specialty, and JJ wondered why her mind had reminded her of his existence, today of all days. She could vividly imagine his reaction if he ever found out she had dared to challenge their parent's authority, as he would've put it. In his world, breaking a rule meant being just one step away from starting a criminal career, and that was the reason he had always followed them unwaveringly, which was not the annoying part: it was more the fact he conspicuously bragged about his supposed strong morals, and he felt entitled to discipline his younger sisters. Needless to say, he and JJ had never gotten along very well, and since Jeff had moved out when she was still little, there had been no opportunity to remedy that. The sound of muffled footsteps interrupted JJ's train of thought.

"Emily?"

"I'm right here," Emily said, and all of the sudden she became aware of the unfortunate choice of wardrobe she'd made in the hurry to climb out of her window without attracting Henry's or Berta's attention. The jeans were fine, but she had wedged herself into an old bright pink and yellow shirt that was way too tight, and that clashed horribly with the orange and blue cardigan Mrs. Berkeley had given her as a thank you for babysitting her cats the other day.

"I thought you wanted to show me the city by night? What are we doing here?" JJ asked.

Emily let herself fall into the seat next to JJ. "This is… part of the surprise," she mumbled.

Her face prickled, and never had she been so glad that it was past midnight and that they were in a dimly lit movie theatre, as the blush that was starting to creep on her face was swallowed almost, if not entirely, by the darkness surrounding them. JJ remained unfazed, but she had this kind of look on her face – the kind that made any lie or deception impossible, and that made other people spill even their innermost secrets at her. As JJ slowly drew closer, all Emily could think of was that she'd probably make a superb agent, or spy, with outstanding interrogation skills like hers that required no more than a quick intense gaze or the rising of an eyebrow.

"Well?" JJ prodded gently, and again, Emily was marveled at her capacity to convey seemingly contradictory emotions with just one look of her eyes.

There was a quiet crackling sound, and the projection screen lit up at once, tearing a little cry of surprise from JJ's mouth.

"You didn't!"

"I..." Emily started, and cleared her throat in embarrassment. "I didn't have time to plan it for your birthday, so I guess it's a belated birthday present, and also, an attempt at an apology... a rather lame one I must confess, if you bear in mind the severity of the offence."

"An apology for what?" JJ asked, but Emily felt the blonde already knew the answer.

"For being a lousy friend... for ignoring you for four entire years and never writing or calling... and for having the cheekiness to expect you will forgive me."

JJ stared at her in shock.

"I mean, I-I'm not trying buy your trust b-back or anything," Emily stuttered. "I know I hurt you and I just... I wanted to do something nice to show you how sorry I am, your friendship means the world to me and I wish..."

Emily's words literally got stuck in her throat as JJ's eyes met with hers, she opened her mouth a couple of times but no sound came out. The blonde used the silence to study Emily's face with quiet awe, as though she had never really seen her before. Her gaze was anything but skin-deep, on the contrary, it seemed to pierce right through her and made her stomach walls tingle.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Emily asked after an excruciating long pause. "I know you said it was okay, but I still feel awful, if I were you I would hate me-"

JJ came closer and silenced her with her index finger. "Shh, stop rambling," she whispered. "I... I really love it, Em. No one has ever... done such a thoughtful, romantic thing for me. And just for the record, you could never do anything that would make me hate you. Unless it was something really awful, like killing someone, and even if you did kill someone someday, I'm sure you would have a good reason-"

"Now you're the one rambling," Emily stated with a lopsided smile.

"I'm sorry, I guess what I mean to say is thank you," JJ said and snuggled against Emily's neck. "By the way, how did you…?"

"Ah. A lady never kiss and tells," Emily said playfully, and she could feel JJ grin against her chest.

They went quiet, their attention shifting to the big screen in front of them. The adverts were already over, and now the screen was starting to fill with motion again, as the opening titles rolled onto it, accompanied by that kind of ostentatious music characteristic of many old black and white films. JJ was reminded of the drive-in cinema, where this sort of timeless classics usually screened, but she quickly pushed that thought away. This was not a date, at least not in the traditional sense. It was a date with her best friend, and soulmate. Had they really been here just a couple of months ago with Erick? The movie instantly transported her to another time, and the surreal feeling of being here alone with Emily also played its part, and she felt the urge to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Her head had slid closer to Emily's chest inch by inch as the storyline unfolded, and she gasped when the young woman pointed a gun at the man she clearly loved.

"No!" JJ whispered, missing Emily's bemused look.

"JJ, have you never seen _Casablanca_ before?" she asked.

Jen shook her head, but as it was resting on Emily's chest, the result was that she pressed it further into the brunette's skin, and Emily held her breath, JJ was so very close...

_'Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.'_

Emily felt something wet soak trough her T-shirt, and it took her a moment to realize where it came from.

"Are you crying?" she asked unnecessarily.

"You're not? This was so beautiful," JJ said as the movie ended and the screen went blank again. "Sorry about your shirt," she added bashfully, and proceeded to wipe her eyes.

They left the same way they had gotten there, never letting go of each other's hand. They walked back to their bikes and were about to unlock them, when a dark car appeared out of nowhere and came to a halt next to them. Emily's heart began to race, her hands were sweaty and she was having trouble unlocking her bike. The car's window was slowly put down, revealing a blonde woman with dark glasses.

"Excuse me, do you know where Warrington Street is?" she asked, and smiled at them. JJ looked relieved, but the woman's voice had given Emily the chills.

"No, sorry ma'am," she answered, finally opening the lock. "Let's go," she said to JJ, and the blonde teen nodded.

"Do you girls need a ride?" asked the stranger.

"No, we're good, thanks," Emily mumbled. "We live nearby."

"Really? But I see no houses around here. Are you sure?"

"Yes," Emily answered firmly, trying to ban the nervousness from her voice. "Come on JJ, let's go."

The girls got on their bikes and cycled away as fast as they could, only stopping at JJ's house, which was nearer than Emily's.

"Gosh, that women was weird," JJ said, her voice shaking a bit. "Do you really think she was lost?"

"I don't know," Emily said, keeping her thoughts to herself. She didn't want to scare Jennifer. "Maybe she was, but it was better that we didn't get into her car."

"Yeah, definitely."

They put both bikes in the garage, and tiptoed to the front door. JJ fumbled in her purse searching for the keys, but the lights outside the house weren't lit and she couldn't get a hold of them. Emily hurried to assist her, but before either of them could put the keys in the keyhole, the door opened and JJ's dad appeared, looking furious.

"Go inside, both of you!" he said through clenched teeth. They did as they were told, and JJ's dad locked the door behind them.

"I demand an explanation," he said, his face still distorted with rage.

"Daddy, we were just..."

"It's my fault, Mr. Jareau. I'm sorry. I wanted to sneak out and I convinced JJ to go with me," Emily said.

"Is this true, Jen?"

JJ looked at her friend and then at her dad, not knowing what to say.

"We both wanted to get out," she finally said, refusing to let Emily take all the blame.

"Why on earth would you sneak out in the middle of the night? Do you know how damn dangerous that is?" Mr. Jareau shouted, and Emily almost expected a couple of neighbors to appear at the Jareau's doorstep to complain about the noise. "That maniac is still out there! Didn't you think of that?"

Neither of them replied, being too ashamed of themselves to form a coherent sentence.

"I did expect more from you, from both of you," he continued. "You're smart girls, and you should know better. Jennifer, go to your room. Emily, you can stay in the guest room, it is too late for you to go home now. We will talk about this tomorrow."

The teens didn't dare to say another word. Emily exchanged a quick glance with JJ and then went to her assigned room, feeling embarrassed and stupid.

* * *

"Do you think we could request another table? That creepy guy over there has been watching us the whole time."

"Oh, really?" Dara didn't seem to care. She took Isabelle's hands to her lips and kissed them softly, one kiss for each knuckle.

"There's always someone who's gonna stare, darling," she said in between the kisses. "Don't worry about it."

"But-"

"Uh-uh, no buts honey, tonight is about you, about us. Forget that man, he's probably just picturing us having a threesome with him."

"Dara!"

The dim candlelight highlighted Dara's youthful expression instead of the small wrinkles that formed around the corners of her mouth and eyes as she let out a heartfelt laugh, making her appear at least ten years younger than she actually was.

"Sweetie, please change that mourning look of yours," she told Isabelle across the table. "If you don't I might be inclined to think my presence is unwanted here."

Isabelle attempted to give Dara her full attention, but her eyes kept darting around the room to that odd couple's table. The man was now whispering something into the woman's ear, seemingly not paying attention to them anymore, but still, the unpleasant feeling of being observed did not leave her, and she shuddered. Dara's light frown turned into a scowl as she followed her girlfriend's gaze.

"If you really want to, we can ask for another table," she offered. "I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."

"Dara I know you put a lot of thought into this and it's a fancy place and all, but... I can't relax with him in the room, he gives me the creeps. Let's just go somewhere else, please?" Isabelle tried to smile at the older woman, but her heart constricted, making her display a grimace instead. She gasped for air, and her breathing became ragged and hollow as her lungs refused to fill with air. She clenched her hands to the red tablecloth, and for a couple of seconds, she thought she was going to faint.  
Dara's soothing voice sounded far away, and somewhere she could make out the concerned face of the waiter, who was offering her a glass of water.

"That's it sweetie, breathe with me. In... and out... you're doing great," Dara told her in a calm manner; she was already used to her girlfriend's attacks. Tears sprung into Isabelle's eyes at the pain in the chest.

"Lately I seem to make a habit out of this," she then said ruefully and looked away in shame. "And now I've ruined our evening."

"Nonsense," Dara said and reached for her hand.

A few tables away, the man sneered quietly into his napkin, and a triumphant smile flickered across his face for a nanosecond, invisible to the untrained eye. Perfect, just what he had been waiting for.

"Sugarkitten what's the matter? Is it your mother again?" Dara asked as she stroked her lover's hand. Isabelle was caught off guard by the tenderness in her voice, and a couple of tears poured from her eyes as she violently shook her head.

"No… I mean yes, isn't it always her?" she said in defeat.

"You know, my offer still stands."

"I can't, she would... expose me, and you in the process. It would ruin your career, and she would have me fired. Or she would blackmail me in exchange for keeping our secret."

Dara pondered about Isabelle's worries for a while. "I know it's none of my business but..."

"I know what you're going to say, but please don't, not today," Isabelle said quietly, while she tightened her grip on Dara's fingers.

They asked for the check, and when they raised to get their coats, Isabelle noticed the man and his wife were gone. She timidly reached for Dara's hand, and they finally left, walking out hand in hand.


	16. Jackie

JJ woke up panting and bathed in cold sweat, just seconds before the man with the grotesque face and bulging eyes would've reached her. After recovering from the shock, she got up and put a sweater on, and decided to check on Emily. Luna's little paws twitched in her sleep when the floor creaked under her steps, but otherwise the house was silent. She sneaked out of her room, her skilled fingers opening the door in a way it didn't squeak. Avoiding the step that always made sounds, she went downstairs, orienting herself only with the help of her hands. The guest room was the only bedroom on the first floor, and JJ knocked at the door, not waiting for Emily's answer before getting in. The room was even darker than the rest of the house, since her parents always kept the roller shutters down. JJ felt her way to the bed and after her eyes had adjusted to the absence of light, she distinguished Emily's dark shape beneath the covers. She stretched her arm out and touched what she thought would be her friend's shoulder, accidentally touching her somewhere else. Emily woke up with a start and clasped JJ's wrists so tightly the blonde let out a cry of pain.

"What are you doing here?" Emily growled.

"Emily, it's me!" JJ said with a yelp, while she attempted to wriggle herself out of Emily's strong grip. "Ouch, you're hurting me!"

"I'm sorry," Emily said and released JJ's wrists. "I thought you were someone else."

"Who did you think I was?" JJ asked with a wince. "There's nobody else in the house who would come to your room in the middle of the night."

"I had a nightmare," Emily explained. "A guy wanted to kill me."

"I dreamed something similar," JJ said with a frown. She lit the bedside lamp and got into the bed, covering herself with half of Emily's blanket.

"I would've preferred to dream about Humphrey Bogart," she said and crept closer to Emily until their foreheads touched. Emily's warm breath felt like a caress on her skin, and JJ wished they could lay like this every night for the rest of their lives, or at least until Emily moved away to go to college.

"Really? If I had to pick someone from the movie, it would've been Ingrid Bergmann," Emily told her with a yawn and rubbed her eyes; she was still a little disoriented, and Jen's proximity didn't exactly contribute to rise her awareness.

"There's something I wanted to ask you," Emily said after a while, wavering between her desire to know and the prospect of causing JJ to relive a painful memory.

"Yes? What is it?" JJ slurred and her eyelids dropped drowsily.

Emily gave the younger girl a quick kiss on her temple, as if apologizing in advance. "Why did you cry the other night? You know, when my aunt and cousins were visiting?" she then asked and held her breath awaiting JJ's response.

JJ's eyes opened in surprise, and suddenly she was wide awake. "Why are you asking this now?"

"Because you never told me," Emily said, already regretting bringing up an obviously delicate matter.

"You never asked."

"I... I thought that you would tell me when you were ready."

Emily had unconsciously started to play with a stray wisp of JJ's hair. "You can tell me," she whispered softly. "I'm good at keeping secrets."

The younger girl hesitated, and Emily could see the silent battle going on inside her by looking into her friend's dazzling blue eyes.

"It's because of my sister," Jennifer finally said, and Emily was alarmed at the unexpected change in her voice.

"What about her?" she asked, terrified of hearing the answer.

"Jackie she..."

Although JJ didn't finish her sentence, Emily instantly knew. Whatever she had been expecting, the truth was ten times more shocking, and a sharp pain hit her chest, cutting off her oxygen supply for a moment.

"I'm so sorry Jen, I never knew."

"I usually don't talk about it," JJ said, her eyes darkening. "It happened nearly three years ago."

"Oh my God, JJ, I'm sorry." Emily didn't know what else to say. She continued to caress the younger girl, waiting for her to speak. JJ took a deep breath, and started to tell her the whole story.

"Jackie was very ill," she said and closed her eyes to gather her thoughts. "Very ill and very sad. None of us saw it coming. My mom thought she'd broken up with her boyfriend, and dad thought something... horrible had happened to her and that she wouldn't tell us..." JJ drew in the air sharply through her mouth, and Emily's heart ached seeing her like this; it was evident talking about her sister took an almost superhuman effort, and in spite of the tragic events she was recounting, Emily couldn't help but admire JJ for her fortitude.

"She was miserable all the time, but no one understood why; she had good grades, a lot of friends, and was a popular girl in school... Eventually she got a little better, and my folks thought that she'd went through some sort of a phase, being a teenager and all. But then it just got worse, she couldn't sleep, she didn't eat properly, and she couldn't concentrate anymore… She once told me that her mind was constantly racing, making her think horrible things, making her wish she was dead..." JJ gulped, and tried to fight down her tears, while Emily covered her mouth in shock.

"T-the worst thing was that she couldn't even cry anymore. I tried to cheer her up as best as I could, but it didn't help. Then I…" At this point, JJ's voice broke, and her grief became more palpable than ever. The pain in Emily's chest had tripled, and she fiercely wished she could make JJ's sorrow vanish with a swipe of her magic wand. Sadly, she wasn't JJ's fairy godmother, and this was anything but a fairytale.

"I got angry... I thought she was doing it on purpose, that she didn't want to be around me anymore. I was so selfish… I wanted my big sister back, and then I started being mean to her, but she didn't even fight back. I wished she had yelled at me… damn, I would've been glad if she'd slapped me, but she didn't, she did nothing."

"JJ honey, it's ok to cry," Emily whispered softly after she had regained control over her voice. "I'm here for you." This was all the assurance Jennifer needed to carry on.

"It went on like that for weeks and then months, and eventually my parents couldn't take it anymore. They took Jackie to a doctor, a psychiatrist. He barely spoke to her and prescribed her antidepressants. Then she got better, after a couple of weeks she regained her laughter, and she started to notice me again. We were all relieved and happy but... it didn't last. After four months, she had another major depressive episode, and it was worse than before. The doctors said it would be best to hospitalize her, but mom wouldn't hear it... she feared they would sedate her and drug her up..."

JJ swallowed hard, it was becoming harder to continue with each word and all she wanted was to close her eyes and awake in the morning to realize what she'd just told Emily had been nothing but a bad dream. Emily had never ceased her caresses, and they were so comforting JJ managed to proceed.

"Then, one day I came home from school and... and... and… she just lay there, on her bed. I thought she was sleeping at first, but then I touched her. She was icy cold. She was so cold and she didn't respond when I shouted. I shouted and shouted, and I kept shaking her body, but… nothing. I don't remember much of what happened afterwards, only that I woke up in the hospital; my parents were there and some doctors, and they told me I had to be very brave, and then dad said that Jackie was in heaven with great-grandpa, and that she was watching us from there…"

"Oh JJ..." Emily said, tears streaming down her face. JJ seemed distant, as though somebody else was talking through her.

"I didn't even cry, I didn't really understand a word they were saying, and it took me weeks to finally accept she wouldn't come back, not now, not ever. Mom and dad tried their best, but they couldn't cope with their own sadness and look after a mourning child at the same time, so my granny took me in for a while, and after a couple of weeks, mom came to live with us too. Dad stayed here because of his job... it was never the same after she died. God, I miss her so much..."

Her voice trailed off, and she began to sob quietly. Emily sat up and hugged JJ, who curled up against her. It was as if a dam had breached, the tears kept flooding out of JJ's eyes in a sort of violent eruption; Emily's shirt was already soaked but she didn't care, all she wanted was for JJ to feel a little better. She rocked Jennifer back and forth like a baby, whispering soothing words and entwining her legs around the blonde's fragile body.

"Baby, it was brave of you to tell me all this," she said tenderly, and brushed a strand of hair out of JJ's face.

"I often wished I was dead and she alive," JJ confessed between her hiccups. "She was the good one, she should have lived."

Emily wrapped her arms tighter around the younger girl, pressing the blonde's head to her chest like a mother would.

"Don't say that. Never ever feel guilty for being alive. Jackie didn't want to live anymore, sometimes that happens, and there's nothing, absolutely nothing you could have done to stop it. She loved you very much, you know," Emily said, and pressed a couple of kisses on JJ's head.

"If she loved me she wouldn't have left me," JJ cried, digging her fingers into Emily's flesh. Emily winced, the blonde's fingernails hurt, but she didn't say anything.

"Sometimes people get so sad they think their loved ones are better off without them," she said quietly. "I can tell she loved you deeply, as much as someone could love their little sister, and even more. She will always be with you, no matter what. You must not forget that."

JJ straightened up and wiped her face and nose with the palm of her hand.

"Thanks Em," she said sincerely, her blue eyes searching for Emily's brown ones.

"I didn't do anything," Emily protested meekly.

"Yes, you did. You listened. Thank you."

JJ crawled into Emily's lap and sighed, exhausted. It didn't take long for her to fell asleep. Emily carefully placed her on the bed and covered her with the blanket. Then she got up and went to the kitchen to get something to drink. There was too much going through her head right now to go back to sleep.

* * *

It was Saturday morning. When Emily woke up, JJ was gone, so she went to the kitchen in the sleep shirt she had borrowed from JJ and saw the blonde standing by the stove, making pancakes. Emily managed to hide her bewilderment just in time; she had actually half expected to find JJ sitting on the couch with a tear-streaked face, but the face that greeted her was looking almost joyful.

"Hi Em," JJ said and smiled at her.

"Hey, your pancakes smell delicious."

"Thanks, I thought they would help to pacify my dad, so he won't shout at us too much."

"I'm a total klutz in the kitchen," Emily admitted. "I can't even get scrambled eggs right, they always burn."

Jennifer chuckled. "I bet you have tons of other talents."

"Really, like what?"

"Uhm I don't know. You are good at acting, I didn't know that before we joined the drama club."

"I very much enjoy it," Emily said dreamily. "But I really wish Fantine didn't die that early in the play."

Aware of her unfortunate choice of words, Emily covered her mouth with her hands.

"JJ, I'm sorry, that was insensitive of me," she apologized to her friend. "Are you alright?"

"Emily, it's fine. Really. You don't have to walk on eggshells around me, I'm a big girl. I was just feeling vulnerable last night, and when that happens, well, you saw it yourself..."

"Thank you for telling me," Emily said, placing her hands gently on JJ's shoulders.

"You're my best friend, I'd tell you anything," JJ said, her voice full of emotion.

Their eyes locked, and for one second, there was nothing else in the world but them. Once the moment was over, Emily let go of Jennifer's shoulders. The blonde stared at the spot her friend's hands had been, as though awaking from a trance.

"You were saying?" she croaked.

"W-what? Oh... I was saying it's a shame that Fantine... doesn't get much time on stage. A-and Éponine is such a tragic character, but I like her..."

"Right, I forgot you got two roles... lucky you."

"Yeah, only because that other girl backed out. Besides, both of them... leave. Your character gets the man of her dreams."

"That's what bothers me about Cosette. Love is all she cares about, all she lives for."

"Don't you think that her yearning for true love is just as legitimate as the other's fight for justice?"

"I guess so. But I find her kind of boring, actually."

"I like her, she's no different than any other girl in love. Well, maybe she is. Not all girls are that passionate," Emily said. "You portray her very well."

JJ blushed and turned her attention back to the pancakes in the frying pan. "Could you please set the table?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Sure, where do you keep the plates?" Emily asked.

"Top right cupboard on the left side," JJ answered. "Thanks, Em."

Shortly after everything was ready, the girls heard heavy footsteps approaching the kitchen.

"Good morning girls," JJ's dad said grumpily.

"Good morning, Mr. Jareau," Emily replied nervously.

"Hi dad." JJ went over to him and kissed him on the cheek.

"Don't think that you being nice to your old man will spare you, young lady," he grumbled. "Emily, I have talked to Henry already, he's relieved that you are fine, but don't expect to get away with it, he sounded very angry."

Emily gulped. Henry was the personified calmness, and if he was angry it meant she was in serious trouble.

"Are you telling mom?" JJ asked quietly.

"No, I think it's better not to upset her."

"Thanks dad."

"I'm not doing it for you. And just so you know, you're grounded for a week. No TV, no phone, and no going out except to school. And if it ever happens again, I'm beating the living daylights out of you. Now, give me another kiss."

JJ obliged and Emily stared confused from one to another. Was that it? Usually when she fought with her mother, there was a lot of shouting and slamming doors, and swearing even. She had to admit it was mainly because she enjoyed to provoke the older woman, she never got such strong reactions from her when she was behaving like a 'good girl'.


	17. And He Strikes Again

The three of them enjoyed their breakfast while they waited for JJ's mom to join them. Jerome Jareau had eaten most of the pancakes, claiming that if he didn't, they would get cold and don't taste as delicious. Jennifer had made more, keeping them in the oven so they stayed warm until her mother woke up.

"Jeannie, would you please bring me newspaper?" Mr. Jareau requested, while contentedly munching his last pancake.

Emily raised an enquiring eyebrow at JJ. "Jeannie?"

JJ chuckled and shrugged. "One of his pet names for me," she clarified. "Dad, you haven't used that one since I was in elementary school."

"JJ was obsessed with _I dream of Jeannie_ when she was little," Mr. Jareau explained to Emily. "Pumpkin, remember how you made us watch reruns every day at 7pm?" he asked his daughter.

"Of course I do!" JJ exclaimed and laughed. "I even begged mom to make me a Jeannie costume and I wanted to wear it every day for a month... I didn't do it for the sole reason you promised me as much chocolate and ice cream as I wanted."

"You were a persuasive little tyrant," her dad said and looked at her adoringly. "You wrapped us around your little finger, all three of us, even your sister..."

JJ's gaze dropped to the ground; she didn't want to be reminded repeatedly of the huge void Jackie had left in their lives... Jerome recognized her expression all too well and so he went quiet. Jackie's death had affected his youngest child the most, and he knew for a fact that she still wasn't ok, that she still was trying to cope...

"Honey, the newspaper, please?" he asked again, giving his little girl a look filled with love and understanding. Then, his eyes flickered with grief for a moment, and Emily was sure she saw something else in them too; guilt, perhaps?

"Of course, dad," JJ mumbled, her eyes still cast down. As soon as she was out of the kitchen, Jerome's attention turned towards the dark-haired girl sitting right next to him.

"So," he started, stretching the word unnecessarily. "How are things going between you and Jen?" he then inquired casually, as if talking about the weather.

"Wha-what do you mean?" Emily asked bashfully, spilling a little coffee onto her shirt. "Oh shit. I'm sorry Mr. Jareau," she said, apologizing for her language.

"It's not a big deal, dear," he said, casting his daughter's friend a meaningful look. "I was simply curious, because you are spending so much time together. Jen was crushed when you left, and I thought she would never recover. It's nice you two made amends." Jerome looked carefully at the young girl, studying her reaction at his words. "You are very close, right?"

"Y-yes we are," Emily replied nervously. "But you have to know we never had a fight or something like that. I just…" Emily went quiet and looked around the kitchen searching for a good hiding place. What would Mr. Jareau think of her if she told him how badly she had treated his daughter?

"It's okay Emily, whatever happened, it's none of my business. I'm just glad you're back in her life," Mr. Jareau said after a short pause.

"My mother kept JJ's letter from me," Emily blurted out almost simultaneously. Her eyes met quickly with Jerome's, and his piercing blue eyes made her regret the blatant lie immediately; her face became scarlet red and she was pretty sure her lips were quivering treacherously. She had not lied to an adult since that unfortunate incident with her father's car for which the ambassador had grounded her for five entire months, and on that day, she had sworn to herself she would never speak the untruth again. _"So much for keeping your promises, Prentiss,"_ she thought and bit her lower lip in remorse.

Jerome merely nodded. "The letters, eh? Yes, Jeannie told me she never got an answer... I'm sure your mother meant well... Well, you can't change the past now, can you?"

"No sir," Emily confirmed, while exhaling in relieve. Hopefully, her lie would soon fall into oblivion, even though she was certain her conscience would be nagging her a long time for telling it.

"Anyways, you're a good gal, Emily. I'm happy that Jeannie and you… that you two found each other," Mr. Jareau said and winked at her, making her blush even more fiercely than before.

"I-I love spending time with your daughter, she's really my only friend here… well, my only female friend anyways… She's… very dear to me, like a sister. I don't know what I would do without her," Emily said throatily and closed her eyes, allowing her mind to wander back to the day she had met Luna, or more precisely, the day JJ had kissed her blood smeared lips…

Mr. Jareau smiled. "That's so nice to hear. Oh, speak of the devil," he said, as JJ returned to the kitchen with the newspaper in her hand.

The blonde flinched at her father's last words. "I'm no devil, dad," she protested, but handed him the piece of paper nonetheless.

"It's just a figure of speech," Jerome said, shrugging. "You know you're my angel," he added tenderly, and JJ smiled at him with such sweetness it broke Emily's heart.

Jerome unfolded the newspaper and opened it, and then he almost choked on his morning coffee.

"Sweet mother of Jesus!" he exclaimed rather loudly.

"What is it dad?" JJ asked, frightened.

"Nothing, you don't need to see this, honey."

"It's about the murder, isn't it?" whispered Jennifer. "We will find out anyway," she added anxiously.

Jerome folded the paper in two so the girls would not be able to read the headline that had just freaked him out so much. He looked at them and sighed deeply, wishing he could spare them the news he was about to tell them.

"I suppose you will," he agreed, his voice defeated and tired. "Another girl's been found murdered."

"No!" JJ cried, covering her mouth with her hands. She looked at Emily, who had gone very pale; both were having the same thoughts. Sneaking out while a murderer was on the loose was the stupidest thing they had done in a long time. They had deliberately exposed themselves to danger, all for gazing at some stars from a rooftop in the middle of the night and watching a movie together. They could've easily been the murderer's next victims. Emily shivered, recalling their creepy encounter with the woman in the black car, and the hair on the back of her neck stood up as she envisioned what could've happened if she and JJ had trusted the stranger enough to accept her offer. JJ's dad guessed what was going through their minds, and his expression turned very serious.

"Swear you are never, ever going to pull something like last night again," he therefore said urgently, emphasizing the words 'never' and 'ever'.

"I swear," JJ said at once, her cornflower blue eyes still wide open in shock.

"Emily?" Jerome turned to the brunette girl.

"Y-yes. I mean no... it was stupid and it won't happen again," she stammered out, her gaze fixated on JJ as though trying to find some solace in her beloved face.

"Good," Jerome said, and his worried look smoothened a little. "Oh and darling, better don't mention this to your mother, you know how this kind of things get to her."

"I won't," JJ promised, and Jerome pulled her into a tight hug. A sudden outcry instantly tore them apart.

"I simply don't understand!" Emily yelled, and the volume of her own voice made her wince. "I don't get it, why would someone do such a horrible thing? Those girls didn't harm anybody, and the killer took their lives just like that… WHY?"

The two Jareau's were taken aback by the fierceness in her words. Emily looked expectantly at Mr. Jareau, and he knew she desperately needed an answer.

"I don't think there's a valid explanation, honey," he said sadly. "It's something sane people like us could never comprehend, and frankly I don't think it's possible for anybody to fully understand what drives these kind of individuals…"

"There must be some kind of motive, something in this person's past that caused them to be the monster they are now," Emily said quietly. "Even if that is by no means a justification for their actions…"

"I'm not sure I would wanna know," JJ said, and her words were accompanied by a slight shudder.

Jerome looked at them with thoughtful eyes. "I think it's not healthy for either of you to dwell upon this subject. There's a lot of evil in this world, but there's also a lot of kindness and compassion, and love. And you'll be the luckiest girls in the world once you've found the latter..."

Emily opened her mouth to voice an objection, but in her heart, she knew Mr. Jareau was right. Once she was done with school and off to college, she could maybe take some psychology courses there, but as for now, her job consisted of making sure JJ and herself stayed out of harm's way. She forcefully pulled her thoughts away from the gruesome murders and continued to listen to Jerome's words.

"…In the meantime, I'm asking, no, I'm strictly forbidding you to go out on your own, or without asking for permission. You too, Emily. I know I'm not your dad, but since neither he nor your mother are around, I'm telling both of you girls now. Don't be scared, but always be cautious. Don't trust people you don't know. Someone may seem nice, but it takes more life experience than you possess and the ability to judge a person's character to figure out who means well and who's hiding his true intentions…"

"Dad, we know," JJ said reassuringly, patting her dad's arm. We were just so tired of staying at home all the time that we didn't really consider the consequences our actions might have. We're sorry."

"I know, pumpkin, but I have to be insistent when it comes to your safety," he said, kissing both girls on the forehead. "Well, I've said enough, and since I cannot lock you up I hope you won't simply brush off what I just said and think I'm being a paranoid old man. I was young once too; I know how young people feel about following rules, and it's ok to break them from time to time, but not in this case. Please promise me to stay away from danger."

"Dad, don't worry, we promise we'll be safe, right Em?" JJ said and searched for her friend's eyes.

"Yes," Emily said, and nodded vehemently. _"I will always protect your daughter,"_ she added silently to herself.

"Good, I trust you on that," Mr. Jareau said, turning to his plate. "Are there some pancakes left, sweetie?" he asked his daughter.

"Dad, you're stuffing yourself! Save some for mom," JJ said, rolling her eyes at him.

"Your mother's on a diet, I'm merely doing her a favor."

"Sure dad," JJ said and chuckled. "There you go, my best one. You will see it's shaped like a cat, if you squint your eyes like this," she said, and showed him how he was supposed to look at it in order to recognize the kitten.

Jerome narrowed his eyes to slits and looked closely at JJ's creation. "No, sorry dear, I don't see the cat," he said, almost disappointed.

"You didn't squint. Besides, you have to use your imagination," JJ told him. "Those are the ears, and those longer parts are its whiskers; see?"

"From where I am sitting it looks more like a cow," Emily teased, finding it very amusing that JJ and her dad would discuss pancake shapes.

"Next time I'm not making you any," JJ said with a pout.

"It looks like a nice cow," Emily said quickly, covering her mouth to hide her laughter. "And I don't really care how my pancakes look like, as long as you make them."

Mr. Jareau looked warmly from his daughter to Emily; his affection for the dark-haired, brown eyed girl had just grown again.


	18. Intermezzo

Henry had gone easy on Emily, knowing Mr. Jareau had already talked to the girls, and how distressed Emily was because of the two murdered girls. She was grounded for a week, just like Jennifer, and the punishment did extend to sleepovers and after school visits too. The adults had agreed to grant them each fifteen minutes on the telephone each day, and one hour of TV time. Emily could've used the remaining time to finish the books she had started to read, or to continue one of her paintings (she was currently doing portraits, though she didn't have the guts to ask the one person she really wanted to portray if she would sit for her), but whenever she tried to accomplish something, her mind wandered off and she lost focus, unable to compartmentalize at all.

She had received a post card from Erick; he wrote that Emma often asked about her and that she would love for her to return to Paris sometime. Emily had felt sick to her stomach at this revelation, still being in denial about the feelings her cousin's lesbian friend had stirred in her, and dismissing them as foolish, a mere indication of the admiration she felt towards the beautiful older girl. She hated to admit it, but she also felt flattered that a girl - a woman - would notice her, as guys did not exactly line up to ask her out on dates, and when one of them did, she usually managed to scare him off before they could get to know each other. In spite of being socially awkward from time to time, Emily had a vast dating history for someone her age, but no real long term relationship worth mentioning, except for the last one, which had ended in a disaster and had left her heartbroken and shattered. She didn't want to feel like that ever again, and so she did what she was accustomed to do whenever a feeling too strong, too marvelous or too scary hit her – shutting down.

Much to her dismay, that strategy that had served her so well over the years didn't seem to work lately. Her old demons, the ones she had thrown in a deep pit years ago, had awoken; but she would not let them take over, not this time. She looked over at the picture next to her bed that showed two young girls free of worries and full of dreams, and she really hoped they still existed, despite the emotional scars their now older selves bore.

The week passed awfully slow, and the only thing both JJ and Emily looked forward to was their fifteen minutes on the telephone, and the rehearsal of _Les Misérables_ on Friday. Derek really made an effort to connect with Emily, but she was always distracted, and he had already realized that the more he pushed her, the more she would shut him out. So he mustered as much patience as he could, and waited for her to open up to him.

JJ had it a little easier, she had much more extracurricular activities than Emily to attend to, and between her cheerleader and soccer practice, the drama and the debate club, and the occasional writing she did for the school's newspaper, not to mention her homework, she had little to no time to think or worry. Her ghosts hunted her at night, when everything was so quiet she could almost hear the blood rushing through her veins. She had not spoken to someone outside her family about Jackie since it had happened almost three years ago, and nobody at the school knew she was the one who had found her sister's lifeless body. She didn't need sensation-seeking people asking her about details of her sister's death, or teacher's suggesting she perhaps needed psychological treatment. They had asked enough questions already the year JJ had lived at her grandmother's. Most of all she didn't want them to know that she had been undergoing psychotherapy for three years now; she was not a freak, even if she still cried herself to sleep almost every night.

Although Emily was more open with her than she was with poor Derek, JJ still felt her friend was hiding something from her. As someone who was familiar with grief and pain, JJ perceived that Emily had not simply freaked out at the prospect of having sex with Derek at her birthday, it had to be more than that, even if the brunette denied it. Furthermore, Emily was always hinting that something had happened in Rome, something she didn't want to talk about. Whatever it was, JJ would be there for her if she ever needed to give vent to her feelings.


	19. I Dreamed A Dream

Friday came, and with it, the eager anticipation to finally talk to each other, and not just over the phone. At 17:58, Emily ran to the room where rehearsals took place, almost tripping over her shoelaces and falling flat on the floor. She stumbled towards the door and opened it, catching her breath before she spoke.

"I'm sorry Ms. Henley," she said, panting. The young woman and about sixteen boys and girls of different ages looked at her, interrupting their dialogues. JJ gave her a reassuring smile, which the brunette wanted to return, but her facial muscles moved into an expression of disgust when she saw who was holding the blonde's hand.

"It's ok Emily, we were just starting," Ms. Henley said and gestured her in.

Two boys playing the roles of Jean Valjean and Javert began to say their lines, or rather, to sing them. Ms. Henley accompanied them on the piano, stopping from time to time to correct the lyrics or to tell them they were singing slightly off-key. After they had repeated one song about five times, Ms. Henley clapped her hands. "Alright, that's enough for today boys. Emily, you're up."

"Me?" she uttered huskily, looking self-consciously at the room full of students. It was the first time she would sing _I Dreamed a Dream_ in front of an audience, and she didn't want to mess it up due to her stage fright.

Emily stood next to the piano and took a deep breath. As soon as the music started, she was transported to another place, completely forgetting where she was standing and what she was doing. She closed her eyes and the words simply flowed out of her, crystal-clear and sincere.

_There was a time when men were kind_  
When their voices were soft  
And their words inviting  
There was a time when love was blind  
And the world was a song  
And the song was exciting  
There was a time  
Then it all went wrong

_I dreamed a dream in time gone by_  
When hope was high  
And life worth living  
I dreamed that love would never die  
I dreamed that God would be forgiving  
Then I was young and unafraid  
And dreams were made and used and wasted  
There was no ransom to be paid  
No song unsung, no wine untasted

_But the tigers come at night_  
With their voices soft as thunder  
As they tear your hope apart  
As they turn your dream to shame

_He slept a summer by my side_  
He filled my days with endless wonder  
He took my childhood in his stride  
But he was gone when autumn came

_And still I dream he'll come to me_  
That we will live the years together  
But there are dreams that cannot be  
And there are storms we cannot weather

_I had a dream my life would be_  
So different from this hell I'm living  
So different now from what it seemed  
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed

"Emily? Emily!" she heard Ms. Henley's voice calling from a distant place. She opened her eyes and found seventeen pairs of eyes staring at her, some in disbelief, others in shock. Was her singing really that bad? Emily looked at her teacher and found nothing but worry in her green eyes, which disconcerted her even further. Why where they all glaring at her as if she'd sprung right out of a horror movie?

"Emily, are you alright sweetie?" asked her teacher softly, getting up from her seat and putting her hands on Emily's arms while looking into the young girl's misty eyes. The latter slowly shook her head, and her hands went to her face, where her fingers traced the now dry lines unwittingly spilled tears had left on her skin.

* * *

"Look around, is this how you envisioned our romantic evening?" the young brunette asked. Sirens wailed in the distance, while not too far away two dogs were fighting over the remains of an old piece of meat; and as if to emphasize her point, a couple of drunk college kids passed them by bawling and leaving behind a sickening smell of alcohol and vomit.

"If I remember correctly," Dara started, her voice adopting the slight mocking tone she loved to tease Isabelle with, "you are the one who favors secluded places like a dark alley over a fancy restaurant with snobbish waiters," she told the younger woman, while pressing her further into the stone wall behind them. "Not that I'm complaining," she continued. "I could never do _this_ in one of those places."

With that, Dara came closer and captured Isabelle's lips in one fiery kiss, her hands roaming over the brunette's leather jacket until her fingers found its zipper and pulled it down. She then slid her hands inside the jacket and they resumed their exploration of the younger woman's body while her mouth was busy covering every inch of her girlfriend's face with kisses. She only stopped after Isabelle moaned in protest.

"We shouldn't… This furtive encounters have to end, we're hiding like a couple of teenagers," Isabelle said in disapproval, and stretched out her arms to keep Dara's naughty fingers at bay.

"We could always go to my place," Dara proposed in her usual carefree manner, and a sly smile crept on her face, making her grey eyes twinkle.

Isabelle subtly shook her head. "I have to work early tomorrow..."

"Well, how about your place then?" Dara suggested, and drew closer to attempt nibbling at her lover's ear.

"Stop it- You know I can't, if she sees us..."

The redhead let out an exasperating growl. "Isabelle, you're a grown woman. The amount of power she exerts over you is ridiculous!"

"It's not that simple," Isabelle whispered, and lifted her chin to gaze at the stars; the night sky never failed to appease her, and it didn't disappoint this time either.

"I'm sorry, sometimes I forget how delicate you are," Dara said after brushing her fingers over Isabelle's cheeks and jaw-line ever so tenderly.

"Are you making fun of me?" Isabelle asked, and she became misty-eyed as she thought of her father, the most lovable man she had ever met, too kind a soul to stand up to her mother's fits of rage.

"Not in the slightest, dear. It's probably what drew me towards you in the first place. And now..."

The tension in Isabelle's body released as she surrendered to Dara's touch. Her eyelids shuttered close, and her lips parted in delight; she never had the strength to resist Dara when she let her dominant side take over.

"Okay, let's go to my place," Isabelle said eventually, and she didn't need to open her eyes to see Dara's smug smile.


	20. Ian

JJ and Ian were standing outside the room used for rehearsals. Ms. Henley had send everyone home half an hour earlier except Emily, but neither of them had come out since, and JJ was battling the impulse to barge in. Ian looked back and forth from JJ to the door, fidgeting impatiently with his fingers.

"When is she coming out? I have to go to my basketball practice," he said, discontent written all over his face.

"Ian please, didn't you see her in there? She practically collapsed into Ms. Henley's arms after she asked if she was ok. I get that it's an emotional song, but I know it's something else. I've known Emily since we were little and that just wasn't like her," JJ replied with a frown, never tearing her eyes away from the door.

"She's in good hands, JJ, maybe we should just go. I don't think she would want us to pester her about it," the boy tried to convince her unsuccessfully.

"I can't," JJ said quietly. "She's my best friend, and I'm not just leaving her after she cried her eyes out."

"You told me yourself Emily never talks about the things that are bothering her. Really JJ, I'm going to be late..."

"Maybe she doesn't, but I can still be there for her. Go ahead, I will meet you later, ok?"

"JJ..."

"I'm sorry Ian, but Emily needs me," she said, her voice firm. "I'm not letting her down just to cheer for you and your buddies."

As soon as the words had left her mouth, JJ knew she had messed up. Ian had been nothing but nice and patient with her throughout their relationship, and all she did was hurting him.

"Ian, I didn't mean..." she said apologetically and tried to meet his gaze, but the boy averted his eyes.

"I think you meant _exactly_ what you said," he replied, and his tone frightened her. There was no anger or sadness in his voice, he was merely stating a fact. "You should figure out what you really want, JJ. Honestly, I like you a lot, but I'm tired of being your second choice."

"Ian don't..." she begged, but he was already leaving.

"See you later JJ. Or not. It's up to you. Tell Emily I'm sorry she's so upset," Ian said, and his feet kept moving, increasing the distance between them step by step.

JJ felt herself cringe at the sound of his shoes against the cold tile floor. "Ian, I'm so sorry!" she called after him, and he turned around and smiled sadly at her. At that moment, the door opened and Emily appeared, which caused JJ to forget about him immediately.

"Emily!" she called and rushed towards her friend. "Are you alright?"

Emily's face lightened up instantly, and she submitted to JJ's caresses, not really in the mood for physical contact, but don't wanting to openly reject them either.

"What did you and Ms. Henley talk about?" JJ asked, finally letting go of her.

"Nothing, she just wanted to invite me to her house for extra practice."

Jennifer gave her a querying look. "That was all?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes."

JJ sighed. Sometimes talking to Emily was not easy.

* * *

JJ had walked Emily to the parking lot where Henry had already been waiting for her, and now she was as the basketball court, watching the game while the other girls did their routine. She had previously excused herself for not joining her squad, for she was too distracted and feeling the exact opposite from cheerful. Ian had not noticed her presence yet, but she hoped she could catch him later to straighten things out between them. Even if she was not ready to be his girlfriend, she didn't want him to become another boy she had kissed and made out with a couple of times, only to tell him later it "wasn't going to work out". She knew she hadn't been honest with him, and he did not deserve that. Ian's team had just scored again, and JJ clapped along with the other spectators. There were only two minutes left into the game, and the opposing team was not likely to score enough points to win. The coach blew the final whistle; the game was over, and JJ went to the locker rooms to look for Ian. He was the only one there, and JJ presumed his teammates were somewhere celebrating their unexpected victory.

"JJ!" he exclaimed, quite surprised. "You came," he said, and gave her a tentative smile.

"Yeah, I figured we have to talk... And since I'm still grounded for two more days, it has to be now," she said, lifting her hands to her hair to straighten it, even though there was nothing wrong with her hairdo.

Ian dried his sweaty face with his shirt and put his sports bag on the floor. "Do you really want to do this now?" he asked, his face turning serious.

"Yes, please. I feel… I haven't been fair to you. I owe you an explanation," JJ said and looked around as to ensure no one else would witness their conversation.

"You don't owe me anything, JJ. I like you and I want us to be together, but if that's not what you want, I will back off, I swear."

"I- I need more time, Ian," she stammered, knowing deep down it wasn't true, that it was just another evasive tactic. The answer she halfway expected came promptly.

"You have been telling me that since the day we started going out. I just can't do this anymore," Ian said and ruffled through his hair in a desperate, almost comical way, only JJ didn't remotely feel like laughing.

"What are you saying?" she asked tearfully.

"I'm saying that we should break up whatever we had... whatever this was," he said, his eyes welling up too.

"No, please. Just let me make things right. I can change," she pleaded.

"I don't want you to change because you're afraid of losing me. I don't want you to change at all. I just need to know if you like me enough to be with me."

"L-like you? Of course I like you!" JJ shouted while angrily wiping her tears away.

"Do you love me?"

"What?" she uttered with a blank face.

"Do you love me?" he repeated, holding her gaze.

"I... This is not fair," JJ whispered and closed her eyes, fresh tears streaming down her face.

"Do you?" he insisted, the lump in his throat making his voice sound raspy.

"I don't know! I don't know ok?" JJ cried and sobbed, and before she knew it, she found herself in Ian's arms, sharing one last kiss with him.


	21. Ms. Henley

Emily was standing in front of a wooden door with beautiful carvings that belonged to an equally ravishing house. She had certainly not visualized her teacher living in such a pompous mansion. Sure, the house offered a spectacular sight, but it also looked kind of pretentious, and adjective which didn't match with Ms. Henley's humble personality. Emily looked over her shoulder at Henry waiting in the car; it was unlikely he would've driven her to the wrong address by accident, since he knew this town like the back of his hand. She was more than thankful for him relaxing the rules and letting her out this Saturday, with her punishment still binding her to home for two more days.

She gathered up all her courage and took the metal ring of the gargoyle shaped door knocker in her hand, wondering why Ms. Henley didn't have a doorbell like normal people did. The heavy door opened slowly, and Emily relaxed promptly when the young teacher stood before her, smiling warmly and stretching out her right hand.

"Emily, I'm so glad you could make it," she said, while they shook hands. "Please come in."

Emily did after waving goodbye to Henry, who winked at her and then drove off.

"Wow Ms. Henley, you really have a beautiful home," she said, admiring the gorgeous paintings and the tastefully picked furniture in the spacious living room.

"Thank you dear, but it's not really mine. It's my mother's house, I'm only living here temporarily."

"Well, your mother has very good taste then," Emily said, tracing her fingers along the soft wooden surface of a small table standing right next to her.

"Thank you, I will pass the compliment on to her," Ms. Henley assured with a small nod of her head. "Would you like something to drink?"

"Just some water, thank you," Emily said, gazing at a painting that showed two lovers by a lake; the water seemed to actually be in motion, and the young woman bore a striking resemblance to Ms. Henley.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Ms. Henley said in a dreamy voice. "I wished I could paint like that."

"Do you paint?" Emily asked, realizing she knew next to nothing about the teacher she held in such high admiration.

Ms. Henley gave her a funny look before answering. "Yes, but I'm not very good at it."

"I bet you are better than you think you are," Emily said and blushed slightly. "I do like to paint too, from time to time. I'm doing portraits right now."

"Portraits, huh? I would like to see them sometime. Only if you want to show them to me, of course."

"Yeah, I'd like that," the teenager said, and followed Ms. Henley into the kitchen.

Ms. Henley took two glasses out of the kitchen cabinet and poured herself some orange juice.

"Are you sure you just want water?" she asked. "I have a delicious pineapple juice you will love if you have a sweet tooth. Or if you prefer, there's also apple, orange, and cherry juice, but I wouldn't recommend the latter, it has a rather… peculiar taste."

"No, just water's fine, thank you," Emily said and her eyes wandered around in awe. She had to admit even the kitchen was stunning, which was typically the room she would pay less attention to. It appeared to have been newly modernized, and the soft, welcoming colors bathed it in a warm light. "How come you live in your mother's house?" she asked after a while. "I thought..."

"That I was married?"

"Well yeah..." Emily said slowly, wondering if she had been indiscreet.

"She doesn't live here with me, I live alone. And no, I'm not married," Ms. Henley said and chuckled after Emily raised an eyebrow.

"Good for you. I m-mean... you're still young..." Emily stammered, mentally cursing herself. Eager to change the subject to avoid further embarrassment, she added: "You know, when I was standing outside I wondered whether it was your house, it just doesn't seem like you."

"Really? Why not? Don't you think I could have good taste?" Ms. Henley said teasingly.

"No no, it's not that," Emily replied quickly. "It's just... well it's a beautiful house and all but it's not homey. I pictured you living in a small cozy apartment with maybe two or three kittens and a pair of budgies."

"A pair of budgies, really? So you think I'm a sad old spinster?" Ms. Henley continued to tease her.

"No, not at all," Emily said, blushing heavily. "It's just, you're so beautiful yourself… you don't need to surround yourself by pretty things."

_"_ _Oh shit,"_ Emily thought. She could not believe she had just said that out loud, but luckily, Ms. Henley didn't seem to mind.

"Thank you, Emily," she said genuinely. "That was about the nicest thing someone has said to me in a long time."

"Anytime," Emily said nervously and started biting on her fingernails.

"Anyway, shall we start?" Ms. Henley asked. "There's a piano in the dining room we can use." She waited until Emily had drunk her water, and then guided her into the dining room.

As she walked behind her teacher, Emily thought that from this particular angle, Ms. Henley could easily pass as a high school student; she was dressed the most casual Emily had ever seen her, with sweatpants and an oversized sweater, and her brown hair was tied back in a loose ponytail that swung back and forth in synchrony with her steps.

* * *

Neither of them realized how quickly the time passed, they were completely absorbed in the music. It was not until it began to grow dark outside that Emily remembered Henry had said he would pick her up in two hours, and after a quick glance at her watch, she saw they had half an hour left.

Ms. Henley paused the playing, her fingers hovering over the piano keys. "Do you have to go?" she asked and looked at Emily with saddened eyes.

"Not yet, but I'm kind of hoarse already, maybe we should continue another time," Emily replied carefully. Surely, living alone in a place with space for a household of eight was bound to get lonely now and again, and if it wasn't for her stupid punishment, she would've been happy to keep Ms. Henley company for a couple more hours.

Ms. Henley nodded and took her hands away from the piano. "You know, Emily, I didn't invite you just to practice your songs," she said.

"You didn't?" Emily glanced at the elder woman and found her looking at her with a perturbed expression.

Ms. Henley shook her head. "No. See, as a teacher my job does not consist exclusively of teaching you what's on the syllabus, I also carry a certain amount of responsibility for my students' general well-being. I have been observing you for quite some time now, and you seem more distracted than usual. Emily, is there something you want to tell me?"

Emily sat down at the table, and supported her head with both hands. "Not really," she said evasively. "Why do you ask?"

"Well... I noticed you behavior has changed over the past couple of weeks," Ms. Henley said, phrasing her concern carefully.

"I thought I was doing well," Emily mumbled. "I'm even participating in class."

"You are right, but I don't mean your participation in class, which has really improved since the beginning of the school year. It isn't the play either, you've been really enthusiastic about it since we've started…"

"Then what is it?" Emily said quietly, and her face darkened. "Am I in trouble?"

"By no means, darling. It's just that you… well lately you don't seem like yourself, and frankly I'm worried about you. Is there something going on at home? Are you in some sort of trouble?" Ms. Henley asked softly, causing the growth of a lump in Emily's throat.

"No, there's nothing going on at home," Emily muttered somewhat indistinctly, and after clearing her throat she added, "Well, I did something foolish and I got grounded, but it was a one-time thing. I'm fine, really, you don't have to worry."

She could tell Ms. Henley was not convinced, but she didn't know what more to say. There was only one person in the world who really knew her worst nightmare, and it wasn't even JJ. Ms. Henley knelt in front of her, a frown on her beautiful face.

"Emily you're an excellent student, but I'm more worried about what is going on in here," she said, putting her hand over her heart. "God knows I hadn't it all figured out at your age either, and I too, was very confused, but to me it seems like... like you're trying to run away from something."

"What do you mean? I'm not trying to run away from anything," Emily said a little louder than she had intended.

"It seems to me that you're afraid to feel," said Ms. Henley, searching for Emily's eyes and looking at them with intensity. "And I worry that if you stay that way you will never allow yourself to surrender to your true emotions."

Emily remained quiet, eyes fixated on her lap. When she finally looked up, she found herself captivated by the older woman's bright green eyes that were gazing at her with nothing but deep understanding. Emily saw a flickering of something else in them, but it was over so quickly she wasn't able to pinpoint it. She suddenly became very aware of Ms. Henley's hands stroking her own. No doubt the teacher's intention was to encourage her to talk to her, but her touches did have a very different effect on Emily, thus her reaction was withdrawing her hands as if she had burnt herself.

"I'm sorry," Ms. Henley whispered, clearly misinterpreting her gesture. "I want you to know you can always talk to me, Emily. I might not be old enough to be your mother, but maybe you could think of me as an older and slightly wiser friend or sister that just wants to help you out."

"Thank you, Ms. Henley," Emily whispered back and then her tears started to run freely. "I'm sorry," she said. "I've been crying an awful lot lately."

"That's a good sign, dear," Ms. Henley said, patting her gently on the head.

An unexpected bang startled them both. There was someone in the house! Didn't Ms. Henley live alone? Emily looked at her, frightened.

"Good Lord, that's my mother again," said Ms. Henley and clicked her tongue impatiently. "I specifically asked her..."

The door to the dining room opened, and Emily did not believe her eyes when she saw who came marching in.


	22. Mrs. Simmons

Emily looked from Principal Simmons to Ms. Henley, not knowing how to react or what to say. Mrs. Simmons stood there like a ticking time bomb, and Ms. Henley seemed ashamed of herself for no apparent reason. Several minutes of intense staring ensued, the two woman's eyes shooting invisible arrows at each other, and Emily could almost feel the atmosphere become denser around them. Eventually Mrs. Simmons severed the connection and directed her gaze at Emily instead.

"Miss Prentiss, it would be best to leave now," she said in a brusque manner. "My daughter will take you home."

_"Daughter,"_ it echoed in Emily's head, but she didn't quite comprehend the meaning of the word. "What do you mean…" she started, but she didn't have to finish her question, for the explanation was delivered right away.

"Mother," Ms. Henley said in what was merely a whisper. "We weren't finished yet."

"Well, you are now," Mrs. Simmons replied coolly.

"My... Henry is going to come and get me," Emily squeaked. "I appreciate your offer, but it really isn't necessary that your daughter... I mean Ms. Henley..."

"Miss Prentiss, do not question my reasons," the elderly woman said grimly. "Isabelle, you heard me. Drive Emily home. Now."

In the middle of all this confusion, Emily couldn't help but to think what a pretty name Ms. Henley had, and how well it suited her beauty. _Isabelle..._

"Mother, I do not appreciate you coming to my house and tyrannizing me," Ms. Henley said calmly. "I was working with Emily, and as I said, we're not quite finished."

" _Your_ house?" repeated the principal mockingly, making Emily's hair stand up on the back of her neck.

"Really mother, we're doing this now?" Ms. Henley asked, and as she positioned herself in front of her mother she seemed to grow both in confidence and height. "I'm paying you rent like a regular tenant, and that does grant me some rights. You can't just show up unannounced, I thought I had made myself clear about that."

"As a matter of fact, I can, darling. And you should thank me for doing it. Now, will you please drive this girl home?"

"Or what?"

"Isabelle, I'm warning you..."

"I should've stopped being afraid of you a long time ago, mother," Ms. Henley said. "I'm sorry you have to hear all this," she apologized to Emily, who didn't dare to utter another sound.

"Isabelle!" Mrs. Simmons called once more, her voice rising dangerously.

The young teacher didn't dignify her mother's screams with an answer, she simply grabbed her keys and stormed out of the kitchen. Emily was petrified; she felt like an intruder. This was clearly something concerning Ms. Henley and her mother, and she shouldn't even have witnessed it...

"Miss Prentiss, what are you waiting for?" Mrs. Simmons barked.

"Sorry, Mrs. Simmons. Goodbye ma'am," Emily stammered and hurried after Ms. Henley, who was already in the car waiting for her.

Ms. Henley was awfully quiet on their ride to Emily's house, and Emily didn't want to aggravate the situation by asking one of the many questions that were flashing through her head. She was relieved when the car turned into her street and stopped abruptly in front of her grandmother's house.

"Emily, I can't tell you how sorry I am."

The girl looked at her teacher in alarm. Ms. Henley's voice sounded – broken.

"It's ok, my mom and yours… they're very much alike. We're not very close," she said, not sure if Isabelle would find any solace in her words.

"How did you become such a good person?" asked Ms. Henley absentmindedly. "With a parent like that?"

Emily shrugged, that surely was a weird question... "I could ask you the same thing," she finally said, offering Ms. Henley an unsteady smile. "Anyways, I have to go. Thank you very much for driving me home. See you at school, Ms. Henley."

"Emily wait," said the young woman, putting her hand on Emily's to stop her from getting out of the car. Emily gazed at Ms. Henley's hand on hers and swallowed.

"Yes?" she croaked.

"Nothing, I just... I hope you know how special you are," whispered Isabelle.

"Ms. Henley..."

"You are. Don't let anybody make you feel any different." She squeezed Emily's hand, and then let go of her.

"Thank you," the teenager mumbled and got out of the car, feeling a little nauseous.

* * *

At the Jareau's, a blonde fifteen-year-old girl was feeling rather miserable. Since her breakup with Ian, JJ hadn't talked to Emily, fearing that if her friend asked her what was wrong, she would lose it. Emily had enough on her plate already, she didn't need her best friend moping around. Jennifer threw herself on her bed and buried her face in her pillow. Why the hell was everything so complicated?

After pondering whether she should call Emily (after all, she hadn't used her telephone time yet) or work on her homework, JJ decided on the latter, but as she was in the middle of solving some particularly difficult equations, sleep overcame her and she drowsed off in the same position she had been studying, her notebooks and pencils scattered over the bed, and with her math book serving as a hard pillow.

When Jerome entered his daughter's room two hours later, he found her sleeping in a very uncomfortable position, so he tiptoed to the side of her bed and cleared the blanket of the writing utensils, and placed her notebooks carefully on the night table. While he decided what to do about the much heavier book that rested underneath his daughter's head, he took a moment to contemplate her, and the sight made him chuckle. JJ's mouth was wide open, and she was drooling all over the book. Jerome thought of getting the camera to snap a candid photo of her for the family album, but then decided against it as JJ started to murmur indistinctly in her sleep.

His expression became grave when she began to squirm, and he sat down next to her, placing his hand on her sweaty forehead.  
"No, Ian... Emily... please Emily... no... NO!"  
JJ awoke with a scream and her body jerked forward, right into her father's arms.

"Dad?"

"I'm right here love."

Suddenly, JJ felt small and frail, and the smell of her father's aftershave wrapped her soothingly like a warm blanket. She started crying more out of relief – that he was here, and that he did not consider her too old to rest against her old man's chest while he tried to comfort her with a lullaby – than of actual sadness.

"Did you have another nightmare?" Jerome asked once JJ had calmed down sufficiently so that he could understand her words.

"No… I mean not one of _those_ ," JJ said quietly, and her dad didn't need to ask which nightmares she meant, as sadly, it had become superfluous to ask over the years.

"Then what was it?" Jerome inquired gently.

JJ bit her lip. "Do you think it's possible to be in love with more than one person?"

Jerome opened his eyes in surprise. "How many are we talking about? Two, three, four? Or more?"

The blonde rolled her eyes at him. "Not helping dad."

"Right. Well, when I was in Junior High I fell madly in love with…" he started and cleared his throat. "With this alluring foreign exchange student from… I think she was from Buenos Aires, Argentina? She had these cute dimples and the most dazzling brown eyes I had ever seen, full of mischief they were… Anyways, what I'm trying to say, even though I liked her a lot, half a year later I met your mom, and bam! I fell head over heels for her, even though I gotta admit it was not easy to win her heart, as for some reason she disliked me at the beginning…"

"I find that hard to believe," JJ teased him.

"Well, turns out not all women and girls like to be serenaded in a room filled with more than 200 people," Jerome said and winked at his daughter, who exploded into a guffaw.

"You didn't!" she exclaimed with tears in her eyes.

"The most embarrassing five minutes of my life," Jerome replied sheepishly. "Your mother's expression of horror is something that will haunt me for the rest of my days."

"It was burnt into your head forever, huh?" JJ said in an effort to remain serious.

"Something like that, yes. Why do you think your mom and I rarely fight? That woman is terrifying when she's mad," he said, and his voice delivered so much tenderness JJ decided this was the kind of love she wanted – someone who would love her not only for her fortes but also for her imperfections and peculiarities, and whose heart would still start to beat faster at her sight twenty years into their relationship. And then it hit her – that person was definitely not Ian.

"Thank you, dad," she said and planted a kiss on his cheek. "You helped a lot."

JJ snuggled against him, oblivious at the thought that had just crossed his mind.

_"_ _My baby's in love with another girl…"_

"It's nice to see you smile, pumpkin," he said out loud. "Do you want to watch a midnight movie on the couch?"

"I'm still grounded," she responded with a dubious movement of her head.

"Nonsense, you've learned your lesson. Besides, I hate to watch a movie on my own, there's no one to comment it with."

JJ smiled at him. "I love you dad," she said, and he returned her affection by wrapping her into a tight hug.


	23. That's What Friends Are For

_"She's what?"_

"She's her _mother_ ," Emily repeated for the third time now.

" _I still don't believe it,"_ JJ said through the telephone.

"Me neither, it's just... weird."

" _And she was bossing Ms. Henley around?"_

"Yeah, pretty much. She was really mean, and she certainly didn't want me to be there."

" _Wow!"_

"She reminded me of Elizabeth," Emily said, her fists clenching involuntarily.

_"Who?"_

"Mrs. Simmons. She reminded me of my mother..."

" _Oh, that bad, huh? Poor Ms. Henley..."_

"Yeah I felt really bad for her, and she was so sweet to me... I really like her a lot."

There was a longer pause than usual on the other side of the line.

"JJ, are you still there?"

" _Yeah. Sorry Em I had to... there's something I have to tell you"_

"What is it?" asked the brunette eagerly, the way Jennifer had said it, it sounded like something big...

" _Ian and I broke up..."_

"Oh. I'm sorry JJ," Emily said, wondering why she felt like laughing.

" _I mean, we weren't_ really _a couple, but it still hurts, you know?"_

"I can imagine. I'm really sorry I can't come over... Why did you break up though? I thought everything was going well..."

" _It was my fault, I blew it. Apparently he thinks I care more about you than I care about him, and he said he was tired of coming second..."_

Emily's cheeks began to burn, and she swallowed hard.

" _Emily?"_

"I'm sorry JJ I have to go, I'll call you later ok? We still have a couple of minutes left," Emily said hastily. "I'm sorry about Ian," she added, and she really meant it this time.

" _Emily wai-"_

But Emily had already hung up.

" _Emily Prentiss, you're one complicated woman,"_ Jennifer stated before she hung up too. Her friend had always been better at expressing her feelings through writing. She remembered how they had said goodbye almost five years ago now. Emily had barely looked at her, but the book and the poem she had given JJ had more than compensated her for it. Where was the book, anyway? She had hidden it along with some of Jackie's stuff, but she didn't remember where. She began to tinker around clumsily in her closet, but the book was nowhere to be found. When she was almost ready to give up, she stumbled upon a tiny red notebook. She took it and wiped the dust off, and two golden letters appeared, embossed in the red cloth. _J.J._

* * *

"Who is it?" Emily asked after she heard a soft knock on her door.

"Emily, there's someone here who wants to see you," Henry's voice sounded through the door. "May I come in?"

"If you like..." Emily replied somewhat moodily and closed her book to get up from her beanbag.

"Derek! Hey... What are you doing here? I'm still grounded for another day..."

"It was impossible to turn this young man away," Henry said with a small wink. "He says he has brought your homework, that's very considerate, isn't it?"

"I guess so," Emily mumbled.

"I'll leave you two, then" said Henry, closing the door on his way out.

"So... hey princess," Derek started, not sure if he was allowed to hug his friend. She didn't seem to be in a exceptionally good mood today. "How are you doing?"

_I'm confused, I'm angry, I'm feeling very sad for some reason, I'm glad Jennifer broke up with Ian even if I should feel bad for her, I feel like kicking you for being here, but I wish you would hold me instead and tell me I'm not going crazy..._

"I'm fine. Thanks for coming..."

"I already told you you're my favorite girl," Derek said matter-of-factly.

"I don't deserve to be your favorite girl," Emily retorted gloomily. "I've been a lousy friend to both you and JJ, I push you away all the time, and just now JJ told me she broke up with Ian and all I could think was that it was about time they split up... I'm a horrible person, I don't know why either of you puts up with me..."

"That's easy to answer, we do it because we both love you," Derek said simply. "And you're not that bad," he added playfully. "But I think it's about time you stopped sulking in self-pity and realized just how wonderful and desirable you are, and of how much you're capable of if you just try. As your friend, I'm giving you a kick in the ass with all my love, Prentiss. You can't always hide in your shell, you know."

"You're absolutely right," Emily agreed sheepishly. "Thanks Morgan, I needed that."

"Anytime, princess. That's what friends are for."


	24. What Are We Going To Do?

Another two weeks passed without any unusual events; school was dull as always, with the exception of literature class and play rehearsals. Emily caught herself thinking about Ms. Henley more than once after school hours, mainly when she was laying alone in her bed unable to fall asleep; but closing her eyes was not much of a relief either, as the same recurring nightmare would haunt her night after night, making her squirm in her sleep and bolt upright with a horrifying scream. Henry, who was a light sleeper, would come into her room most of the times and silently rest his hand on her forehead while exhaustion compelled her to close her eyes again. His presence was able to drive the grotesque, horribly distorted faces away, even if it was just for a moment. The fact that he was the only soul who knew about her nightmares strengthened their bond of complicity, and his presence was enough to soothe her for the rest of the night. Emily missed waking up hearing JJ's unmistakable snoring sounds and feeling the warmth of her skin when they were laying side by side on either of their beds. She could vividly imagine what the blonde's reaction would be when hearing her scream, and it was the last thing she wanted right now, but she was running out of excuses. Whenever JJ called to ask if she wanted to come over, she felt cornered and thus refused, knowing how much her seemingly cold attitude hurt JJ.

Friday at drama club, there was no way of evading her, but luckily for Emily, Ms. Henley made JJ and Ian rehearse all of Cosette's and Marius' scenes together, which didn't give the blonde time to bombard her with questions. Although JJ knew her text by heart, the words seemed to have fallen out of her head, and having to act like she was in love with Ian made it worse.

"A heart full of love. A night full of... full of..." JJ searched the room for Emily's eyes, but Emily was looking outside the window, her gaze fixed and her mind far away.

"A night full of you," whispered Ms. Henley, but Jennifer didn't hear her, she was staring at Emily, who was still oblivious.

"Alright, 10 minutes break," the young teacher said, looking discreetly from one girl to the other. "Jennifer, may I have a word with you?"

* * *

Emily splashed her face with water and looked at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Gosh, she looked terrible. Sleep deprivation did not suit her; she had dark circles around her eyes, her hair was a mess and her already pale complexion made her look like a vampire who desperately needed to feed on some fresh blood. She moistened her hands and ran her fingers through her hair in an effort to flatten it a little. "Great, now I look like a wet poodle," she grunted before washing her hands and moving away from the sink.

"You look great, you don't look like a poodle at all."

"JJ! Good gracious, don't sneak up on me like that!"

"I wasn't. Been here the whole time," said the blonde, leaving her spot by the door and hesitantly approaching the brunette, as though she was afraid Emily was really a vampire who would suck all the lifeblood out of her.

"What about Ms. Henley, didn't she want to talk to you?" Emily asked while gently massaging her temples. Her day just kept getting better, she was having the worst headache, and she hoped the churning sensation in her stomach wasn't a symptom of her monthly menstrual cramps.

"She already did. You've been here for over twenty minutes, she asked me to come and get you."

"Really? That long? Oh crap, I didn't notice... Is she mad?"

"Emily, this is Ms. Henley we're talking about. She's not mad, she's worried. And you're up, so..."

"Ok let me just..."

"Emily, you look fine."

"Liar."

"Emily, let's just go. You've been looking like this the whole day..."

"Gee, thank you," Emily said, feigning hurt.

"You know what I meant," JJ replied, stepping closer to her and gently rubbing her back. "What's the matter, are you sick?"

"No, I just need some sleep. I'll be fine," Emily said, managing to plaster a halfway convincing smile on her face.

"I know something that will make you feel better now."

"Really? Do you have a chocolate bar hidden somewhere behind your back? Because I could really-"

Before realizing what was going on, Emily felt JJ's lips pressing against hers, and she felt electrified and wobbly, and warm and cold at the same time, and she wanted to break the contact but she couldn't; JJ's lips were soft and sweet and chapstick sticky, and they smelled like strawberries and mint bubble gum. Throwing all caution into the wind, she wrapped her arms around the younger girl's waist and pulled her closer, their bodies naturally merging together. When JJ parted her lips, Emily plunged her tongue into her mouth and for three wonderful seconds, she completely lost track of time and space; all she sensed was JJ, and it was almost like something in her unraveled, allowing her to savor this kiss and all what came along with it.

JJ was the first to pull away, breaking the enchantment of the moment and bringing Emily back to reality. She still felt weak in the knees, and there were not only butterflies, but the animals of an entire zoo in her stomach. JJ was looking at her expectantly, and when Emily dived deep into those blue eyes, she found her own fears and desires reflected in them.

"Oh JJ," she whispered once they both had somewhat recovered from the shock. "What are we going to do now?"

Neither of them noticed the door of one of the bathroom stalls opening, nor the slender figure watching them through the narrow slit.


	25. Undisclosed Desires

_"What are we going to do now?"_

"We could do it again," JJ proposed, smiling lovingly at the girl she had just kissed.

"We could get caught," Emily objected. "Besides, Ms. Henley must be wondering where we are. We better get back..."

Jennifer reached for her arm to prevent her from leaving. "Wait," she said, a range of emotions flickering over her face.

The dark-haired girl turned around, the spot where JJ was holding her arm felt like it had just been ignited. "What?"

"Come to my place after school. Please?"

Emily looked at her and languidly shook her head. "I don't know JJ..."

"I'm not trying to seduce you here," Jennifer assured earnestly, causing Emily to chuckle involuntarily. "But I think we need to talk."

"I'll need to ask Henry," the brunette replied evasively. "Now let's get back already, I don't want to get into trouble."

* * *

**Later, Jennifer's bedroom**

"Just lay here beside me, please. We can talk some other time."

"JJ."

"Please."

Who could resist her when she looked like that? Emily sighed and lay down on the bed, making sure to keep a safe distance between them. Her head needed to stay clear, for now. Later, she wouldn't be able to tell how much time they had just laid there being completely quiet, listening to the raindrops patting against the window. Jennifer's parents were out having dinner, it was their romantic evening of the month, and Emily felt somewhat uncomfortable they didn't know she was there. The rain was making her drowsy, and just as her eyes were starting to shut, she felt JJ's hand brushing over her hair, making her sit up with a start.

"JJ, what are you doing?" she asked, alarmed. The blonde stopped, and contemplated her for a while. When JJ moved closer to whisper something in her ear, she held her breath and just stared at the younger girl in amazement. This had to be a dream...

Emily swallowed hard when JJ pressed her lips against hers for the second time that day, instantly separating them to allow JJ entrance. The kiss escalated quickly, the lust that had been building up for months in both of them was released, and they fervently pressed their bodies against each other, until the need of oxygen made them part.

"Are you sure you want this?" Emily asked gasping for air, her pupils dilating as JJ started to undress in substitute of a response.

"I've never been so sure about anything, Em," she whispered, pulled her sweatshirt over her head and lay down on the bed again.

Emily's hands trembled as she removed Jennifer's shirt and hot pants and began tracing soft lines with her fingers on her bare skin. She started in the valley between the blonde's breasts and slowly continued further down, circling her friend's belly button several times and skipping the triangle between her legs, thus moving her fingers to JJ's inner thighs. JJ was shivering under her caresses; Emily was the first person she had allowed to touch her like that, to strip her almost naked. The brunette got on top of her and began following the invisible route her fingers had previously drawn, this time with her lips, leaving delicate kisses and a trail of hot air on JJ's quivering skin. She sat astride on Jennifer's legs, pinning her down on the bed and leaned forward to meet JJ's mouth in a tender kiss. The blonde's lips parted slightly as Emily began nibbling her bottom lip and her earlobe, alternating between the pulpy skin of the latter and the exquisite, delicate one of the first. Jennifer's head tilted back and she shut her eyes, surrendering completely to Emily's touch.

To Emily, it all felt unreal, like a pleasant dream, but a dream nonetheless. She fiercely tried to inhibit the sensations that were beginning to stir inside her as she continued to explore JJ's body, foolishly trying to convince herself that she was merely doing her friend a favor, but her own body's responses telling her otherwise. The sunset had now almost completely wrapped them into darkness, and the absence of light made it a lot easier for her to pretend she wasn't diving into dangerous waters as she continued to kiss and fondle Jennifer. The blonde's voice catapulted her back to reality. She stopped her movements and leaned back, trying to shift her weight onto her legs on each of JJ's sides. "Emily", JJ continued calling her name. "Don't stop, please," she said with a repressed moan, and moved her body beneath Emily's, urging her to continue lavishing her skin with caresses.

"I can't," the older girl said regretfully. "I'm sorry JJ but I can't do this... This isn't something I can 'teach' you, it's wrong and weird on so many levels..."

Emily could feel JJ's body stiffen as she pulled away and rolled to her side of the bed, wrapping herself in the blankets as she did.

The lights were turned on, and suddenly JJ's face was just mere inches away from hers.

"Emily, why are you fighting this so hard?" she asked "It's nothing to be ashamed of."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Emily hissed, pulling the blanket up to her nose.

"Sure, continue acting like nothing happened, like we didn't kiss or that you don't stare at me when you think I'm not looking. I'm not stupid, Emily, I know you like me," Jennifer ranted, with the desperation of someone whose needs had been left unfulfilled.

"Leave me alone," Emily said, panic rising in her voice. If she had been that obvious, what it possible that other people had noticed it too? _Fuck..._

"No, I won't leave you alone. I left you alone long enough... Emily I want this... Please, stop being so stubborn."

"Really? Because I was under the impression that you wanted to practice for when you could go and have real sex with some boy," Emily spat, the pain that was rushing through her body clearly reverberating in her words.

"I'm sorry, Em. I just thought that you wouldn't want to do it if I..."

"If you what?" the brunette asked, sitting up straight and looking at JJ with wide eyes.

"If I told you I... I like you too," Jennifer admitted, glancing at Emily with a mixture of hope and anxiety.

Emily smiled at her, but her smile faded seconds later, and her eyes became dark with worry.

"What is it?" asked the blonde and raised both eyebrows. "I mean it, Em. Even if I thought you'd figure it out by yourself. For someone that smart, you're a little slow on the uptake when it comes to these things, you know?" she teased, aiming for the smile to reappear on Emily's face.

"JJ…" Emily began slowly, and the blonde could see how she struggled to find the right words. "We can't cross that line again. Ever. I can't like you like that. You're my best friend, and I don't want to lose you..."

"Lose me? Why would you... Emily, didn't you hear what I just said?"

"Every single word," Emily replied, her mouth feeling thirsty and her head dizzy. "Look, if we... take this path, both of us or at least one of us will end up hurt sooner or later. I don't want that to happen. It could ruin our friendship."

"It doesn't have to," JJ whispered and wrapped her arms around Emily's shoulders. "We can be both… friends _and_ lovers."

"No, we can't," Emily protested and freed herself from JJ's embrace by shaking her arms off. "You can't just go and choose whatever fits your whim, JJ. How is this supposed to work? Will you be my _friend_ at school and then magically transform into my _girlfriend_ at night? Look, I need you as my best friend, and I also want a relationship, but that relationship just can't happen with you..."

"Emily..." JJ said, her voice trembling now. "It wouldn't be like that, and you know it."

"Really? JJ, look what happened to you and Ian. Or all the other boys you've been with. It never lasted. Why should it be any different with me?"

"Because..."

But Emily didn't let her finish. She jumped up from the bed, dragging the blanket behind her and leaving the room as quietly as possible given the agitated state in which she was in.


	26. The Letters

Ambassador Prentiss sighed deeply and massaged her temples with her fingers. She'd had an awful day at work, and all she craved for was a quiet afternoon at home with a Caesar salad and _crème brûlée_ for dessert while listening to some classical music, but it looked like she would have to postpone it. A huge stack of folders, documents and letters awaited on her desk, and she never had been the kind of person who procrastinated. She went to the kitchen and poured herself some red wine from a bottle of _Château Mouton-Rothschild_ she had been saving for a special occasion like Emily's upcoming birthday, but seeing as it was highly unlikely the almost seventeen-year-old would ever want to speak to her again, she might as well treat herself to something special as a reward for working extra hours.

Scenes from the last encounter with her daughter came flooding back to her memory as she sipped on her glass and tried to focus on her work without succeeding.

_"Emily, I'm very glad you came to see me. Take good care of yourself and don't disappoint me."_

_"It sure as hell won't happen again, mother. Save your money next time instead of buying me a plane ticket. I don't want anything from you, I'm done!"_ Emily had shouted, and Elizabeth had never seen her this angry before, though she had always been a strong-willed child.

_"What on earth are you talking about? If this is about you wanting to leave for college..."_

_"It's not, mother. Guess what. Jennifer goes to my school. But I'm sure you already knew that, and seeing you read the letters I wrote to her, the ones you supposedly threw away, I'm sure you know_ a lot more _now."_ At this point, Elizabeth had mentally cursed herself for leaving a couple of Emily's letters on her desk, but her pride had impeded her to express an adequate apology.

_"How else I'm supposed to learn about you and your life? You never tell me anything…"_

_"That's because school, my grades, or my career is all you ever talk about! You don't give a damn about me or my feelings, I'm just a marionette to show off to your snobbish friends. All my life has been about you and about what you wanted, and you never had the decency to even ask about what I wanted, what I_ needed _…"_

This had been such an unexpected emotional outburst on Emily's part that the Ambassador had fallen silent for a moment while enduring her daughter's defiant stare. Elizabeth's own gaze had matched Emily's both in intensity and passion, but unlike her, the older Prentiss had remained impassive.

_"Please, Emily, don't blow this out of proportion. You had the life other children could only dream of, you had access to the best education, you know more languages than most people who double you in age, and your father and I have indulged every single one of your whims. First it was piano lessons, then dancing, a year later you wanted to play basketball and ice hockey, then it was guitar and singing lessons, rock climbing, synchronized swimming… Shall I continue?"_

_"Oh my God. Do you know why I choose that many extracurricular activities, mother? Because of your scarce presence in my life. You were never there! I learned to cook a couple of simple meals at the age of ten, and when I broke my arm I had to go to the hospital by myself because you were at a gala dinner with dad and the babysitter was busy snogging her boyfriend!"_

Elizabeth remembered that night vividly, she and Mr. Prentiss had come home to a distraught babysitter, and there had been no sign of their twelve-year-old daughter. It was the first time Elizabeth had panicked, yet after calling all hospitals and police stations in the area and finding out where Emily was, with every minute that passed as they were stuck in traffic, she had become increasingly enraged. By the time they arrived at the hospital she was in such a state of fury she had slapped Emily for leaving the house alone, and immediately afterwards she had pulled her into one of her rare motherly embraces.

_"If anything, your father and I have always encouraged you to be self-sufficient and independent. The way we raised you helped in building a sound sense of self-confidence, and I certainly don't see the harm in that. As for the letters, I'm sorry I read some of them without your consent, I should never had done it, but rest assured I did it out of worry, nothing else."_

_"Sure you did!"_

_"Emily, would you just calm down already? I did express my regret, but if it's not enough to you then…"_

_"No! Save it, I don't want to hear any more lies. Did you really think you could get away with this? I hate you!"_

Elizabeth Prentiss smiled sadly. She knew she had brought this on herself, and she couldn't blame Emily for being mad at her, though she had really hoped she would come around eventually. But nothing of the sort had happened; if anything, Emily was even angrier than before, and she rejected any advances her mother would make.

Elizabeth unlocked the bottom drawer of her desk and pulled out a blue box. It contained the evidence of her betrayal, letters that were never meant for her, but that she had read anyway. Actually, there were so many of them she had only opened about half of them, focusing on the ones Emily had sent right before moving back to the States.

It had been weeks, months even since she had talked to Emily over the phone, and the teenager hadn't answered any of her postcards either. In a sudden twinge of regret, she decided to open all of Emily's letters, realizing that a lot would probably not have happened if she had been more involved in her daughter's life. She wished she had found more time to talk to Emily and that she had listened more carefully to what the teenager had tried to tell her all this time. She had been a fool, and she had been blind not to notice that every act of rebellion, every single swearword, the noisy music, the smoking and the alcohol abuse, and Emily's overall display of recklessness had been nothing but a cry for help.

What kind of mother was she that she had driven her own child to take such desperate measures in order to be heard?

She took the first letter out of the box, and opened it carefully. She knew going behind her daughter's back once again and violating her privacy was the wrong approach in regaining her trust, but there was no way in hell Emily would tell her what had been troubling her besides the obvious, and she knew something was not right with her daughter. She hoped reading the letters would help them rebuilt their strained relationship; if not right now, then in the near future.

Emily had written with black ink on baby blue paper, and Elizabeth's trained eyes quickly scanned through the text. She had so much correspondence to answer on a daily basis that she finished reading in no time. She was, however, not prepared for the terrifying details Emily had written, but once she had started, she couldn't stop herself.

_I have a boyfriend, his name is Josh and we've been together for four months now. My parents don't know about him because he's five years older than me, they would totally kill me. They still believe I'm a virgin […]_

_Jen I know you'll probably never even read this, but I'm writing anyway because my mom could read my diary, and if I write to you at least I can pretend that what I have to say matters to someone, that you're reading it but just can't answer for some reason. Something horrible has happened Jen, I'm so scared, I haven't even told Matty yet, I'm afraid this will hurt him too [...]_

_Jen, it's done... I feel horrible. I know you would have handled it differently, but please don't hate me for this. I know everyone always thinks I'm the strong one, but the truth is I'm not. You are. You were never afraid of facing your fears or admitting you had any. I just run away all the time, but I couldn't, not this time. Matty knows, and soon I'm telling my parents. I'm so afraid, Jen […]_

_Jen, I know it's been years and I never even send you one of these, but please, if by any chance you still haven't forgotten me, I hope that we'll meet again someday and that if I explain everything to you, you will understand. Last time I didn't tell you the whole story. Remember I my boyfriend Josh? He actually didn't do anything, it was-_

The following words had been crossed out, and there were evident traces of tears on the paper that had smudged the ink and had made some words unintelligible. In spite of this, she could decipher everything, and against all odds, a single tear left Ambassador Prentiss' eye, falling onto her daughter's letter and mingling with the dried ones Emily had shed over it almost two years ago. Elizabeth crumpled the paper and threw it into the fire, watching how the flames consumed it completely in mere seconds. However, there was no way the flames could extinguish the past, but she felt she had to destroy all the evidence that pointed to the crime she had just read about. Because that's what it was, a crime, and for the first time in her life Elizabeth Prentiss realized she bore a considerable amount of responsibility for what had happened to her daughter.

* * *

" _Josh, please listen to me!"_

" _Emily I'm done with you! How could you do this? Damn, I loved you!"_

" _Josh it wasn't my fault, please listen to me. Whatever he's telling you, he's lying."_

" _I don't wanna hear it ok? He warned me something like this would happen. How am I supposed to feel about this?"_

" _Baby please, just listen..."_

" _No! We're done. You're a freak, you know that? You make me sick!"_

" _Josh, please!"_

" _I said no! Go to hell Emily, I never want to see you again!"_

" _No, stop it! STOP!"_

Emily awoke with a startle. This was not good. She hadn't had this dream in months, and now it was back again, more vivid than ever. She got up and went to the phone, and called JJ's number, but hung up almost instantly. JJ didn't have a phone in her room and she didn't want to wake her friend's parents, so she quickly dialed another number.

"Hello? It's me, Emily. I'm so sorry to bother you..."

_"Emily? What's wrong? Are you crying?_ _What happened?"_


	27. Catharsis

_"Emily? Sweetie you are starting to scare me. Please say something?"_

Ms. Henley broke out into a cold sweat at the lack of a response, and she frantically scanned through her mind for an idea on how to proceed next. Her gaze fell on the redhead's frame on the bed; Dara was fast asleep, and even if she managed to wake her, she would only claim that Isabelle was overreacting and that certain situations had a tendency to resolve themselves.

_"Emily, whatever it is, just try to stay calm, ok? I'm coming over..."_

Isabelle got a hold of some pants and a sweater and threw them on, and without further ado she left for her car and drove over to the Prentiss' residence. The house looked peaceful and as she hastened towards it, there were no sounds except for the low hoots of a solitary owl. Ms. Henley let out a little cry of pain after stumbling over a loose rock. Thank goodness she was wearing trainers and not heels. Once she stood before the door she lifted her right hand but then froze in midair; if anyone else opened besides her student, how was she supposed to explain her presence in the middle of the night without compromising Emily's privacy? On the other hand, if this was an emergency, then she had the moral obligation to come rushing to the girl's aid.

She carefully knocked at the door with two knuckles and held her breath afterwards to try and hear if something stirred inside the house. Thankfully, she didn't have to make her presence noticeable in a more drastic manner, since the door opened slightly and then further. A tuft of brown hair emerged, and then the girl to whom it did belong to. To say Emily looked mildly embarrassed was a gross understatement. She directed her gaze anywhere else but at her teacher, yet Ms. Henley was so relieved to see her she didn't notice and pulled her student into a hug instead.

"Dear, you had me worried sick," she whispered into Emily's ear. "What happened?"

"I'm sorry, I know it's late, b-but you said to think of you as a b-big s-sister and I can't call JJ because she'd get into trouble and-d I really need t-to talk to someone..." Emily said and whimpered softly.

"I'm glad you reached out to me," Isabelle said, hugging her again. "Now, do you think you could tell me what happened? Could you do that for me, sweetie?"

Emily freed herself from Ms. Henley's embrace and looked down at her slippers, her jaw clenching in distress. "No, it was just a dream," she said with a hollow voice. "I feel so stupid. I woke you up because of a nightmare..."

"Emily it's okay, don't worry," Ms. Henley said kindly, and one could clearly hear her exhale in relief. "Sometimes nightmares tend to be very vivid, it's perfectly understandable you panicked. Are you home alone?"

"No, Henry and Berta are here too."

"Who?"

"The house staff," Emily clarified. "They're a part of the family."

"Yes, my mother told me about your special living arrangement. Do you want to tell me about that nightmare?" Isabelle pushed her gently, but Emily only shook her head no.

"I don't want to be a nuisance."

Ms. Henley sighed. "Trust me sweetie, you never could be. Is there something else I can do for you?"

* * *

Emily picked up a handful of pebbles and flipped them through the air one by one, aiming at JJ's window shutters. The first eight didn't elicit the desired response, and so she tried three more times. After throwing the last stone, the lights inside the blonde's room lit up and Emily's heart leaped with joy when the window shutters were pulled up. Even though she couldn't make out JJ's face in the dark, she could see her gesturing towards the main entrance of her home. Ms. Henley watched as Emily disappeared through the door and made a mental note to pick her up no more than two hours later, if the girl hadn't called her by then.

"Emily!" JJ was grinning like a Cheshire cat, but the smile was smoothly swept off her face when she sensed the air of dejection surrounding the brunette. "Em what happened? Why did you sneak out again? It's dangerous!"

Emily, though touched by JJ's concern, flinched at her last words. "Ms. Henley drove me here," she explained, wrapping herself deeply into her coat until she had almost disappeared in it.

"Ms. Henley? What does she... Were you at her place?"

Regardless of her emotional state, Emily didn't miss the slight jealous undertone in which the blonde had voiced her question.

"What? No… She did me the favor of driving me here since I couldn't call you without waking your parents… JJ I-I came to tell you something important. It might… change the way you think of me though," she finished with a tremor and let herself fall onto the couch like a lump of sadness.

"What do you mean?" JJ asked, not disconcerted in the least by her friend's announcement. "Emily you didn't really kill someone did you? Because what I said at the cinema was a bit of an overstatement, I would not be okay with you taking someone's life," she made a weak attempt at a joke.

"Can we chat in your room?" Emily requested timidly, looking around as if she expected Josh and his dad to materialize out of thin air.

"Sure," JJ replied, her voice wavering slightly. "Just be careful with the steps, some creak," she whispered as they approached the stairs.

The lights in JJ's room were still lit, and Luna was sleeping blissfully in her little bed. As the girls passed her by, her whiskers moved a little, caused by the thin current of air, but the feline's nap wasn't disturbed. Emily couldn't help but smile at the sight of Mr. Pickles at Luna's side, he was even shabbier than she remembered, being covered from top to bottom in Luna's white hairs.

"Yeah, she adores him," JJ commented after following Emily's gaze. "I tried to buy her a new plush toy but she downright refused to play with it."

"Must be because Mr. Pickles carries your scent," Emily observed, and sat down on JJ's desk chair, while the blonde plopped on her bed and looked up at her in expectancy.

"I had a nightmare," Emily began calmly, though inwardly she was squirming. JJ waited for her to continue.

"A very real one," she added, as though this information clarified the matter.

JJ looked at her with a mixture of concern and curiosity, but her expression quickly shifted, first to incredulousness and then to sheer blank horror, as the details of Emily's nightmares unraveled. By the time she was finished, Emily feared the blonde's impending reaction at her recount would be overwhelmingly intense, and unfortunately, her assumption was accurate. JJ had her knees pulled up under her chin, arms wrapped around them so firmly her knuckles went white. Her lower lip was trembling, and she crept to the furthest corner of her bed and hid her head between her knees.

"Do you hate me now?" The question slipped out of Emily's mouth with a guttural sob.

JJ looked up from the bed, her eyes swimming in tears. "Emily I already told you I could never hate you. Never, you hear me?"

"Didn't you just hear…?"

"Em what that man did to you-" JJ started, but her words drowned in another sea of tears. Emily jumped from her seat and found herself consoling JJ with loving caresses and tender words seconds later, and as she cried along with the blonde the vast part of her pain lifted from her chest. It was a cathartic experience, even though their roles were reversed and her tears were almost two years late.

"I'm so sorry I burdened you with all this babe," Emily told the girl still sobbing against the crease of her left breast. Her shirt was soaked, probably with more than just teardrops, but that was the least of her concerns.

She tilted her head to the side to kiss JJ's damp hair. When JJ uttered no sound Emily thought she had fallen asleep, but as she took a quick side glance, she was met with two blue eyes that though red and puffy, were regarding her with compassion and another emotion Emily couldn't decipher. The pain in her chest came back with such brute force she was cut off oxygen for a brief moment, and as she struggled to even her ragged breathing she felt JJ's arms entrapping her. Emily jumped up with such impetuosity Luna awoke with a startle.

"I have to go, I have to call Ms. Henley… She said to call her if I wanted her to pick me up."

"You don't want to stay?" JJ asked with hurt in her voice, and she watched as Emily's hand reached for the doorknob.

"I can't," Emily said with regret. "Today's the last day we're grounded, and I'd hate to add more days to the punishment," she said quietly.

"I'm sure Henry and my parents would understand, given the circumstances..." JJ said, but she was cut off rather vehemently.

"JJ they can never ever know, okay? Promise me… I've only told you and Matt."

"Who's Matt?"

"He was my best friend back in Italy..."

* * *

**Italy, nearly two years ago**

"Where's Josh?" The girl in the grey and blue school uniform demanded to know. She carried herself with the arrogance proper of someone who was accustomed to get what they wanted, and he found her tone more than insolent.

The man crossed his arms in front of his chest and eyed her with apparent loathing. "That's a question I will answer once you address me in a more respectful manner," he said angrily, a strange glow in his eyes reinforcing the effect of his words. The girl's features softened almost instantly, and she looked down in shame.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Bennett," she whispered as her face slowly turned red in embarrassment. "I'm just worried about your son, that's all. He said to meet him here..." Her voice trailed off. Suddenly, she wished she had called first instead of showing up unannounced; Josh had told her the date but not the time, and his father wasn't exactly fond of her.

"Josh isn't here," Mr. Bennett pointed out the obvious. "You could come back later or wait for him in the dining room. Your choice, Emily."

The girl flinched at him saying her name the way he did, his menacing undertone putting her on high alert.

"I think I will come back later," she mumbled and tried to avoid the man's fierce gaze which seemed to pierce right through her, but he slowly shook his head and spread his arms while standing in front of the house's front door.

"He should be here any minute," he said, the glow in his eyes intensifying. "Why don't you sit down while I fix us some drinks?"

* * *

She wanted to say something, to push him away, but her head was heavy and her eyes were fluttering shut drowsily, and she made a mental note to never come nearer than ten feet of a bottle or glass of alcohol again. It was only when the man had disposed of her pants and undergarments that she halfway realized what was happening; he moved on top of her, first slowly, then in a form of violent outrage, and even though the alcohol had numbed some of her senses partially, the pain was excruciating and drove tears to her eyes.

Once he was done, she wished for the ache between her legs to abate but no such thing happened, and she willingly let the man pull her up her feet and dress her rather sloppily. He pushed her past a bathroom door and pointed ineptly at the sink.

"Clean yourself up," he muttered.

Emily stared at the girl in the mirror. Her hair was disheveled and her tie crooked, and her face was dirty from crying, except she couldn't remember having shed any tears at all. She did what he had asked slowly, almost mechanically, but when she was done she still didn't recognize the person in the mirror; a complete stranger was glaring at her.

After a while she heard indistinct chatter, and then her mother's voice was thanking the monster.

"Thank you, we were very concerned when Emily didn't come home..."

"Don't mention it, Elizabeth."

"Goodbye, Arthur. Send Claire my regards..."

Her feet took her outside the bathroom, and then she heard herself speaking. At first she didn't identify the voice as her own, as it seemed to come from a distant place and had a strange metallic echo to it. Her mouth mimicked the ambassador's words of goodbye, and as soon as she had said them she fled the house.

"Emily, that was very rude of you!"

The girl winced, stung by her mother's reproach. She opened the door to the ambassador's SUV and managed to hurl her throbbing body inside, and to fasten her seatbelt with shaking hands. The ride home was an absolute blur, it was only when her mother pulled over and her lips began moving that she became aware the ambassador was talking to _her_.

"Didn't I tell you to always carry sanitary towels with you?"

Emily looked down her legs and then she felt it too, a warm sticky liquid that was running down her tights and was most likely leaving stains on her mother's expensive leather car seats.

"I'm not due for another two weeks," she whispered and closed her eyes in distress. It still stung, and part of her wished she could tell her mother everything right here and now, but she was sure she wouldn't believe her, as she was having great trouble believing it herself.

"At least you're not pregnant," Elizabeth noted with a frown.

Emily swallowed the growing lump in her throat and directed her gaze out of the window so her mother wouldn't see the tears streaming down her face.


	28. Dara

She meticulously turned the key around and slowly pushed the door open, fully absorbed in her own thoughts. Everything had run smoothly, or as smoothly as could be expected. After receiving the call, she had left Dara's side for the second time that night to go and fetch the young girl, who by now was sound asleep in her bed; or at least, Isabelle prayed she would be. Emily had been mute, seemingly indifferent to her surroundings, and any attempts to get some words out of her had been fruitless. Ms. Henley sighed deeply as her hand groped for the light switch. The girl reminded her so much of herself in her younger days. If those two could make it work, she would be more than thrilled. Eventually, her fingers found the switch, and the harsh light blinded her for a couple of seconds.

"Finally. Had fun on your little midnight trips?"

Ms. Henley jumped backwards as if stung by an adder. "Jesus Christ! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

Dara was surveying her with an impish twinkle of her eyes, her mouth contorting into a broad grin that showed her very white teeth and proved that she was asking out of genuine interest rather than a fit of jealousy. Isabelle gave a joyless chuckle and let herself fall down on the closest chair, her hands playing with the keys as she weighed telling her girlfriend about her whereabouts (which would ultimately result in one of Dara's sermons about the drawbacks of getting too emotionally involved), against withholding this information from her at the risk of rising avoidable suspicions.

"I was at a student's house," she finally said with uncharacteristic nonchalance, and glared at Dara as if challenging her to start and lecture her. "She needed help and didn't know who else to call."

"I see." Two words said rather carelessly, yet they made her blood boil, and her tension unloaded in the form of an angry outburst, which faded away as quickly as it had come.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Dara, I don't know what came over me… I'm seriously worried about that girl, but I don't know what else to do…" Ms. Henley covered her face with both hands, the strenuous week characterized by sleep deprivation was now starting to take its toll on her.

The redhead rose from her seat and stepped behind her girlfriend, her hands lingering above Isabelle's shoulders as though trying to sense if the younger woman was keen of physical contact right now, even if it was just for the slightest squeeze of encouragement. She had quickly learnt to read Isabelle's body language and to get a feel for her wants and needs; and respecting them without exception had earned her Isabelle's unshakable trust. The regard for other people's feelings was a quality Ms. Henley held in high esteem, even more so after having been denied such attentiveness in her upbringing. The brunette stretched out her arm and grasped Dara's hand in acknowledgement, leaning into her until her head was firmly pressed against the redhead's chest, which prompted the latter to plant a tender kiss on Isabelle's beautiful mane of brown, wavy hair.

"Your commitment is admirable, but please be careful dear. Getting this involved could backfire on you, and I'm _really_ enjoying the new you."

"The new me? What do you mean? Dara I don't want to be one of those teachers who just push their syllabus through and don't care a damn about the rest… that is not the reason I became a teacher, and you know that."

"All I'm saying is that now that your mother knows, perhaps it would be wiser to lay low for a little while until the dust has settled, you know?"

"Dara please, I'm not in the mood to discuss this right now. I already have a mother who criticizes every little decision I make, I don't need my girlfriend doing the same."

"Alright, point taken," Dara said in a reconciliatory tone and lifted both her hands as a sign she was going to let the issue rest. "Now, let's go back to bed, I believe you have to make up for disrupting my beauty sleep not once, but twice."

Isabelle groaned in pretend irritation. "You're impossible," she told the older woman, with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, as she was still somewhere else with her thoughts.

"Yes, so you've told me... many times." Dara replied with a throaty laugh and reached for Isabelle's hand to help her to her feet and lead her back to the bedroom.

* * *

"That was very..."

"Sexy?" Dara suggested with a slight sneer, looking at her girlfriend over the frame of the horn-rimmed glasses she had borrowed for the accomplishment of their role-playing.

"Different," Isabelle said eventually, feeling a little uneasy in her own skin. The afterglow of her orgasms covered every inch of her body, and Dara's proximity made her shiver in expectation.

"Did you like it?" This simple question, voiced with such honest concern, filled Isabelle's heart with affection; and she proceeded to nod, feeling incapacitated to do much else. Dara's smug smile was almost unbearable, and the younger woman shoved her playfully with the last bit of strength she had left. The redhead's retaliation came promptly and left Ms. Henley panting for air; she was very ticklish and her girlfriend showed no mercy.

"Be quiet," Dara warned before shooting her the slightest amused glance. She leaned back into her and brushed her nose against the younger woman's neck, drinking her scent in with such urgency as if consuming a toxic drug. "Gosh, I love you so much…" she said, her eyes glimmering with some sort of fever. "I can't get enough of you."

"You're insatiable," Isabelle said with mock reproach, while creeping out of Dara's reach to cover herself with one half of the blanket. She still hadn't got an ounce of restful sleep, and in a couple of hours she would have to rise again like a phoenix from the ashes, to escort her mother to a ludicrous dinner party.

She sighed and tried to clear hear mind of thoughts about Emily or her mother. Dara spooning her from behind wasn't exactly helping her fall asleep, since their previous activity had required both to be stark naked, and her body was still in a state of mild arousal.

"Dara, I have a rendezvous with my mother tomorrow, I have to sleep," she complained half-heartedly.

"I could tag along as your date," Dara offered with a cocky smile Isabelle could not see. "Just imagine your mother's face..."

"That's exactly why I'm politely declining your offer," was the young teacher's reply. "As you correctly pointed out earlier, it would be unwise to push her patience. It's one thing having you here where nobody else can see you, another entirely different to bring you to a social gathering were all her acquaintances would have the pleasure to meet you… Rest assured she would kill me."

"Relax, it was a joke. Still, being able to see her reaction would've been priceless."

"Sure, continue to wallow in my misery," Ms. Henley told her with a grimace.

"Nothing could be further from my intentions," said Dara and left a delicate kiss on her temple. She proceeded to run her fingers through Isabelle's hair, knowing it was a foolproof way of lulling her into a deep slumber. Only this time it didn't work.

"What's going on beneath that quiet soul of yours?" Dara asked softly, while gingerly turning her significant other around so she would face her. "Are you still thinking about the girl?"

Ms. Henley wrinkled her nose. "Yes, about her, too."

"Do I have a reason to be jealous?" the redhead demanded to know partly in jest and partly serious.

"Dara, she's sixteen," Isabelle replied with a note of annoyance. "Besides, she's my student, and I was merely helping her out."

"And those are the only reasons, huh?" the older woman asked, raising her eyebrows in impressive feigned chastisement.

Ms. Henley shook her head no and closed her eyes; she knew exactly what Dara was doing, namely to attempt and entice her with her charm.

"Excuse me, I didn't quite hear," said the redhead, and leaped forward to trap Isabelle between the blanket and her own body.

"Dara," said the younger woman, a whimper leaving her mouth afterwards. "You know I like older women and I love you, and only-"

Her last word was cut off as Dara bent down, her voluptuous breasts brushing against Ms. Henley's smaller ones.

"I can corroborate that," she said huskily. "When we met you couldn't stop looking at me."

"I believe the feeling was mutual," Isabelle argued, enjoying the sizzling sensation the skin to skin contact was evoking on her body.

"You bet your sweet little ass it was," Dara grumbled, unable to restrain herself any longer.


	29. Rumors

"I think you're just being paranoid."

"Me, paranoid? No Morgan, believe me, I know quite well how it feels to be the social Pariah in school," Emily said as she and Derek passed a couple of 11th graders who suddenly became silent as they saw her, some of them not even bothering to hide their overt hostility and disgust.

"See? They're doing it again, they're staring at me!" she hissed under her breath and quickened her pace.

"Those are cheerleaders, they're bitchy by nature," Derek whispered back after catching up with her. "Hey Prentiss slow it down, my legs hurt from soccer practice," he complained as Emily increased her speed, making him fall behind again.

"JJ's a cheerleader, and she's anything but bitchy," she objected and glared at him over her shoulder. "I'm sorry Derek but I can't wait for you, I'm already late as it is and the last thing I need is to get myself into detention for arriving late, you know how Mr. Matthews gets..."

Mr. Matthews was their Math teacher, notorious for despising any student who didn't take his subject seriously – which, under his strict standards, included almost every student at this school. Arriving late was a capital offence in his eyes, as was getting anything below a B+, a grade Emily was determined to keep.

"Emily wait, you forget he's my teacher too!"

"I wouldn't waste my time if I were you." Derek swung around, forgetting about Emily and Mr. Matthews.

"Come again?" he asked the blonde cheerleader coolly.

"You're not her type," the girl pointed out and giggled foolishly. "Everyone knows she prefers them blonde."

She and her friends who had rounded up behind her laughed hysterically, and the girl swayed her hair a little before making her last statement. "It's just a friendly advice, Morgan. Girls like her don't deserve nice guys like you." And with that, the joined her squad of cackling cheerleaders and left him standing there dumbfounded.

* * *

"Where have you been? I had to make up an excuse for Mr. Matthews but I'm not sure he believed me... he gave us loads of homework," Emily ranted and rolled her eyes at her math teacher's assumption that his subject was more important than any other.

"I got stalled," Derek replied vaguely and decided not to tell her right away about the cheerleaders. "And then I was definitely too late... So what did you tell him? You know, in case he asks."

"That you had an emergency at home and were waiting for your mom to pick you up," Emily said raising her eyebrows. "Sorry, that was the best I could come up with. Though you should probably leave before he sees you."

"Okay, so I'll skip Art too. What about you? We could go to the movies or hang out at the lake," he proposed falteringly; he did not want his friend to run into the same group of girls he did earlier, possibly having to listen to their witless comments; but at the same time, he disliked the idea of getting Emily into trouble.

Emily could sense from his tone and posture that there was something else to it, and she was tempted to say yes and skip class with him. The prospect of laying lazily on the grass while the sun attempted to tan her skin and Morgan taking a dive in the lake was indeed enticing, but after Art she had a free period and she was going to meet up with JJ, and so she shook her head no and gave the boy an apologetic smile.

"Maybe some other time, Morgan. You go and have fun though. The alibi I gave you is more believable that way."

"Emily, wait. Are you meeting up with JJ later?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Nothing, it's just... while I was at the library and you were being tortured by Mr. Matthews I... I've heard..."

"Spill it, Morgan, what did you hear?"

"Some rumors..."

"What kind of rumors?" Emily asked in alarm.

"About you... about you and JJ actually," Morgan said in an excruciatingly slow manner, which caused Emily to blow against her bangs in exasperation.

"Care to be more specific? What kind of rumors are we talking about? The 'They slept with the entire basketball team' kind or 'Prentiss is so ugly I'm sure she was born with a penis'?" she asked in an attempt to sound light-hearted.

"Nothing of the sort. They were about you and JJ being a couple," Morgan replied straightforwardly, though still with a hint of doubt in his voice.

Emily stared at him as if he was an apparition from outer space.

"Wow, they are getting more creative, I give them credit for that," she then said flatly.

"Princess it's me. I'm your friend, you don't have to pretend..."

"There's nothing to pretend, it was probably started by one of the guys JJ has to turn down almost on a daily basis. I bet it's nothing but a vile act driven by a bruised ego or, if it was a girl, by jealousy." She could tell Derek was not convinced, and as she puzzled her head over what could've prompted this rumors, she spotted Mr. Matthews walking straight towards them, and the last she heard from Morgan was a quiet 'See you later' as he hurried in the opposite direction as fast as his legs would take him.

Art was relaxing as always and Emily's eyes glowed with pride after the teacher praised her composition of a French countryside landscape. She put her brushes away and left the class in high spirits, and then she went to hers and JJ's usual meeting place.

"Hey," JJ greeted her somewhat shyly, but smiling warmly. She was leaning against the door to the girl's locker rooms, head a little tilted to one side, hands hidden beneath her back.

Emily took a moment to take the beautiful sight in. JJ was dressed in tight jeans and a white blouse with bubble sleeves, and Emily noticed the blonde had applied a delicate layer of make up; not that she needed any, but her lips were a little redder than usual and her eyelashes more pronounced. Noticing Emily's gaze JJ took one hand from behind her back and started to play with the two pendants she wore on a silver chain around her neck. The first was the one with the blue stone Emily had given back to her, and the other a smaller one in the shape of a tiny kitten, which JJ had spotted a while ago at the mall as they were shopping for clothes. JJ had tried to dissuade Emily from buying it for her, but she was powerless against Emily's infamous stubbornness, and so she had been coaxed to treat herself to some ice cream while Emily had disappeared into the jewelry store.

"Hey beautiful," Emily said in a sudden flash of boldness and her face displayed the kind of smile any bystander would've classified as flirtatious, to say the least. This expression was far too well-known to the blonde to go unnoticed, but this was certainly the first time a _girl_ had looked at her this way. And not just any girl.

JJ's cheeks turned rosy, and even if she was nothing short of astounded at Emily's change of demeanor, above all she was elated with joy. As she closed her eyes and waited for a little shiver to move through her body, the brunette came closer, until JJ could sense the soft breeze that was Emily's breath on her skin; and she kept her eyes shut as she savored every single impression the older girl was engraving on her skin.

She held her breath as the unavoidable happened, and she was glad Emily didn't rush it; wanting to taste her as long as possible. The kiss was loving and forgiving, even though in JJ's mind, there was absolutely nothing to forgive; as frustrating as Emily's behavior was sometimes, she never acted out of selfishness, and JJ had no doubts she would rather break both legs and arms than hurting her on purpose. More importantly, JJ would make sure no one else would harm Emily ever again.


	30. Bullies

"So, Prentiss, here we meet again," he said in a sickeningly mock-sweet voice, a devilish smirk on his face.

_Shit._ The corridor leading past the girl's locker rooms was supposed to be void of human life at this time. "I guess cockroaches don't count," Emily muttered under her breath.

"Get lost, Malcolm," JJ said with all the courage she could muster up, which only made the boy and his pathetically faithful sidekick laugh harder.

"I see you brought your little bodyguard with you," Malcolm observed, tucking his hands behind his back as he mocked making a thorough examination of his situation. "Maybe I'll get to her after I'm finished with you," he threatened, leaning in so close that his tongue was almost caressing Emily's eardrum. The air became dense from the stench of cheap aftershave, causing both girls to choke slightly.

"Fuck off," Emily retorted with confidence, grabbing JJ by the hand and leading her to the girl's bathrooms. They hurried themselves, but Malcolm was faster. He stood in front of the door, cutting them off their safe haven.

"I was not finished with you!" he barked, a menacing grin on his ugly face.

JJ's grip got tighter, and the older girl squeezed her hand and searched for her eyes, trying to tell her there was no reason to worry, even if the boys were known for being bullies and most students avoided them like the plague. Emily positioned herself in front of JJ, blocking Malcolm's access to one of his 'preys'. There was no way she would let anything happen to the blonde. As long as she breathed, he would not lay so much as a little finger on her. She looked around, frantically searching for an escape route. Malcolm's buddy was standing behind them, but at a safe distance. Perhaps they could run past both boys if they were fast enough.

Then it all seemed to happen very quickly, Malcolm made a gesture in their direction, and seconds later his sidekick had grabbed JJ by her shoulders and was pulling her back with brute force, separating her from Emily. In the meantime, Malcolm had already approached his preferred victim and was pressing his body against hers in the most disgusting and vulgar way she could imagine, and as she tried to shove her aggressor away, he grabbed her wrists and banged her against the wall, making her scream in pain. Despite her yelps, she never stopped thrashing beneath his weight, never stopped kicking her legs out or flailing her arms. She knew her attempts were more or less futile, but she had to protect JJ. She just had to.

"I swear to God, if you or any of your apes touch her, I'll make sure you regret it for the rest of your life!" she spat, panting heavily as he pushed further into her. Emily tried to move enough to look over her captor's shoulder. Where was JJ?

"Oh, don't worry," Malcolm started slowly, his tone thick with patronization. "Your little friend will get her turn... or should I say girlfriend?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Emily snapped back at him, only to be punished by his grip tightening around her wrists.

"Now you're insulting my intelligence, Prentiss." He pushed his face up close to her, speaking through gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know one could insult something that doesn't exist. Perhaps your single brain cell is having trouble comprehending such big words?"

Emily didn't see his fist coming, but she felt a hard blow on her face and an excruciating pain on the spot where Malcolm's hand had made contact with her nose.

"You dumb bitch, is that what you like? Do you enjoy that?" He said and shook her violently.

"I will report you," Emily whispered cunningly. The threat, which was loud enough for him to hear, made him inch back slightly. "And there is a cop at my house, once she sees me like this she will ask questions... What's to stop me from answering them?" It was an outright lie, but Emily hoped it was convincing enough to make Malcolm waver.

"You wouldn't dare." Malcolm almost asked, his eyes flickering with doubt as he loosened his grip a little. Emily took the chance and rammed her knee between his thighs, shoved him out of the way and ran. The boy shouted obscenities at her and writhed in pain.

Adrenaline was rushing through Emily's body, she had to find JJ...

"JJ!" She yelled top-volume down the corridor.

"Emily!" The reply came almost immediately, and she spotted JJ's blonde wavy hair at some distance. They ran towards one another, and into each other's arms, and JJ hugged her so tightly she had to gasp for air afterwards.

"Are you ok? Did he hurt you?" Emily inquired anxiously, examining JJ from head to toes twice, but to her relieve she didn't find a scratch on her. JJ shook her head slowly in reply. "No," she said, "I told him that with his record he would probably get expelled, and he panicked and let me go."

"Thank God," Emily mouthed, pressing a firm kiss on JJ's hairline before exhaling deeply.

"Emily, Wh-what happened to your face?" JJ asked worriedly, lifting a few fingers to stroke the brunette's chin.

"Oh... that," Emily shook it off, happy to be holding JJ knowing she was unharmed. "Don't worry, I bet Malcolm is hurting more than I am right now," she finished with a grin.

"Somehow you are always the one taking the blows," JJ observed quietly, talking almost to herself. Her eyes skidded across the other girl's face, avoiding her strong gaze.

"Hey." Emily said softly. "Hey, look at me, JJ," she asked, and of course JJ did so, watching Emily through the blurry veil of her tears.

"You've got to stop beating yourself up about what happened... both this time and when we were little. I knew exactly what I was doing. I wanted him to beat me up, it was the only way... I couldn't stand thinking about how he was about to hurt you, and if I were given the chance I would do it again... In a heartbeat."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" JJ hiccupped with a teary voice. "I'm such a coward."

Emily took JJ's hands and pulled the other girl close. She lifted them up to meet her lips, before returning them to their original position and tracing little circles on them with her thumbs. She rolled JJ's left sleeve up to continue her caresses on the inside of the blonde's forearm until she had calmed down and her breathing was steady again, only interrupted by occasional hiccups.

"JJ, listen to me. It is not your fault. Not this, and certainly not what happened then. They were holding you down, you were completely immobilized…" the last part came out as a whisper. Emily placed a hand on the blonde's neck, and brought her head upwards so their foreheads met. They took a few seconds to take each other in before continuing their conversation.

"So were you!"

"You don't remember, do you?" Emily quizzed gently.

"Remember what?" JJ asked confused.

"When he started to hit me, you screamed, you told him to stop, but it was like he didn't hear you, he was overcome by his rage... once he let go of me I saw you laying on the floor," she paused, looking into JJ's deep blue eyes with sincere guilt for not having told her this sooner. "JJ you were unconscious most of the time."

"I was?" JJ stuttered, some kind of relief washing over her in sheets.

"Yes," Emily said with emphasis and planted a tender kiss on JJ's left hand. She then let go of her and tucked JJ's hair behind her ears with one hand, simultaneously wiping the traces of tears off her face with her other hand. "Now, that's enough about this. I'm starving, do you fancy some pancakes?" she asked cheerily, as if the last hour had never happened. "We're close to Sam's Palace that's where we went the first day we went to after I moved back here, remember?"

A small smile appeared on the blonde's face and broadened as Emily took her hand in hers again.

"Of course I remember. How could I ever forget? But, Emily, are you sure? We- you were just attacked..."

"I'm not afraid of those morons," Emily answered. "Besides, I've got you, haven't I?"

And to her surprise, she felt she wasn't only saying this to make JJ feel better, it was the truth.


	31. Because Of One Little Kiss

Emily gently pulled the younger girl along the corridor and they were about to exit the building when an authoritative shout made them freeze.

"Miss Prentiss!"

The girls didn't need to turn to know exactly to whom this voice belonged to, and JJ clenched her hand in fear, digging her nails into Emily's flesh. Yet the brunette didn't let go of her hand, instead she slowly turned around to face Principal Simmons, with JJ still clinging to her like to a life raft.

"Yes, ma'am?" Emily said, knowing quite well her voice was lacking the respectful tone in which students usually addressed the elder woman.

JJ's breathing had become ragged, as in her mind, they were still being harassed by Malcolm and his goon. Emily knew the blonde was not as successful as herself at compartmentalizing, and that she was also the more sensitive one of the two. Ignoring the principal, who shot them a disapproving glare, she faced JJ and started rubbing her hands in a soothing manner, until the physical contact had somewhat tranquilized her.

"Emily Prentiss, I am talking to you!"

The brunette sighed in annoyance. "Yes Mrs. Simmons, I was aware of that. I'm sorry, we had... something happened earlier and I'm afraid Jennifer is not feeling very well."

Emily didn't miss the little hiss that escaped the principal's mouth as she curled her lips into an ugly grimace.

"Actually, that's _exactly_ the matter I'd like to address," she said, her smoldering eyes focused on Emily the whole time. "In my office."

Emily gave her friend an encouraging smile and took her hand prepared to follow the principal. "Not you, Ms. Jareau. I only need to speak to Ms. Prentiss. But while we're at it, go and pick up a detention slip from your homeroom teacher, as you are well aware of you're not allowed here during lessons."

"Excuse me?" Emily spat angrily and held JJ even closer to her.

"You heard me. In my office, now."

"I'm not leaving Jennifer," Emily said defiantly, holding the principal's fulminating stare. "She needs me right now."

"It's ok Em, please don't make it worse," JJ whispered, her voice cracking. "I'll be fine."

"I'm not leaving without you," Emily repeated stubbornly, refusing to let go of JJ's now sweaty hand. JJ was shaking lightly, and Emily feared she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, a suspicion that was further reinforced by the color draining from her cheeks and lips, and the drops of sweat that now covered her forehead in a layer of perspiration.

"Please, she's going to be sick!" Emily implored anxiously, hoping Mrs. Simmons would finally show some compassion, but she was met with a hard glance.

"Fine," the principal growled through gritted teeth. "Go and drop Ms. Jareau off at the infirmary, but I expect you to be at my office in 15 minutes, and not a second later." And with that, the woman turned around on her heels and strutted back to her office.

Emily was too worried about JJ to speculate on the reason she'd been asked to see the principal. Her attendance record was impeccable and she only had arrived late to class as few as two or three times during the whole school year.

* * *

"Emily, do you know why you're here?"

Emily took a moment to weigh her options and also, to calm herself down. Of course, she could always give in to her impulse and simply shout at the woman in front of her, and frankly, she wasn't even scared of the consequences right now. But what about JJ? Emily knew her friend was in a vulnerable position, and she feared the fragile bond they had established throughout the turmoil that the last months had posed would not withstand further complications. So, she did the only sensible thing to do at the moment - she kept her composure.

"To be honest, no, I don't, ma'am," she said, nearly succeeding at banning the outrage from her voice.

"Don't offend my intelligence, Emily," the principal said threateningly, and Emily thought it was ironic she was the second person who'd asked that of her on the same day.

"I can't remember having said something amusing," Mrs. Simmons said after a hiss left the young girl's mouth before she could prevent it.

"I'm sorry," Emily apologized falsely. "No, I don't know why you _cited me_ to your office."

"Ms. Prentiss, are you acquainted with this school's dating policy?"

It was more of a rhetorical question, since Emily was more than familiarized with every rule the school had set. As Mrs. Simmons had made clear to her from day one, she couldn't afford a single faux pas, so the rules were hammered into her brain with the strength of a hydraulic drill. _Fraternizing between staff members or students and the former are strictly forbidden._ Or something along those lines...

"Ma'am?" Emily said quizzically.

"It was brought to my attention that you and Ms. Jareau have a _close personal relationship_." The principal slurred the last three words to emphasize her point.

Emily coughed and almost choked. "Well, yes, she's my best friend, and we've known each other since kindergarten," she stated innocently, though now there was no denying as to where the conversation was heading.

Ignoring her student's words, the woman carried on. "I'm only asking you once, Emily. Did you or did you not kiss Ms. Jareau on school grounds?"

"What?"

"You heard me."

Whether Mrs. Simmons was really aware of what had occurred or she was trying to make Emily slip, she didn't know, but she knew for sure she wasn't going to betray JJ. Even so, the question seemed absurd; what exactly was she being accused of? Mrs. Simmons looked calm, but Emily doubted she would remain in that state much longer once she told her the truth. On the other hand...

" _Yes,_ I did kiss her. _Once_ ," she said sincerely. Her voice was steady, concealing her inner agitation.

"I appreciate your honesty," Mrs. Simmons told her after a pause during which neither of them spoke, the only sound coming from the big clock on the wand. _Tick, tack, tick, tack..._

"Since this was a one-time infraction as you claim, and I do believe you, I will refrain from punishing both you and Ms. Jareau. But it is my obligation to remind you that such behavior will not be tolerated. You may leave now," she said and waved her hand in dismissal, already focusing on some paper work spread out on her desk. At that moment, the teen's self-composure went downhill.

"I beg your pardon?" she said a little too loudly, her whole body stiffening and her cheeks covering with red spots. The elderly woman put her glasses back down and stared at her, almost as she had expected this exact same reaction.

"There will be no shouting in my office, Ms. Prentiss," she said menacingly. "Unless you want me to reconsider and discipline both of you for your impertinence and disrespect."

"You, you... You wanted to punish us because we kissed? What the hell?"

"Language, Ms. Prentiss!"

Emily didn't care anymore, she knew she was making the older woman mad and that she probably shouldn't test her luck any further, but it was like she had lost all self-control. She stomped on the floor several times like a child throwing a tantrum, while balling her hands into fists. "We did nothing wrong!" she yelled. "Why don't you go after bullies like Malcolm and that big baboon of his, instead of wasting your time with an innocent kiss!?"

The second she looked into the principal's face, Emily knew she had gone too far.

"I am the principal and I will punish my student's for their misdemeanor as I deem fit, thank you," Mrs. Simmons said, her words cutting like knifes. "Our school was founded upon Christian values, and same gender _relationships_ as some call them, are not an example to follow. You will refrain yourself from engaging in such activities with Ms. Jareau as long as at least one of you is a student at this institution. Am I making myself clear?"

"Crystal clear," Emily replied with sarcasm. "Am I dismissed?" she asked out of mock respect, as the little appreciation she had left for the principal had been lost with the woman's last statement.

"Not yet. I hoped this wasn't going to be necessary, but in the eye of recent events… I'm suspending you for five days, maybe that will give you time to reflect on your wrongdoings. As for Ms. Jareau, I will let it slip this time, since I was told you were the one who initiated the kiss. But be warned, both of you- I won't always be this lenient. You may go now."

Later, Emily wasn't able to say how she got out of the principal's office, the unfairness of it all horrified her up to the point she wanted to scream at Mrs. Simmons and even physically hurt her. "How dare she..." she panted, sitting on a bench and waiting for Henry to come and pick her up.

* * *

**A week later**

"What am I doing here?" JJ asked herself as she entered the classroom, which was full of the so-called "troublemakers" of the school: anybody ranging from persistent truants and latecomers and the typical class clowns, to the bullies that enjoyed beating other kids up, or even the ones that had been caught smoking more than just tobacco during recess. JJ watched in disgust as Malcolm and his brainless sidekick sniggered at each other when they spotted her in the room. She swallowed and turned to the supervising teacher.

"Ms. Henley," she said, more to herself, and smiled a little, knowing that she would be spared from the vast majority of torture that she would face with other faculty members.

She liked the young teacher, and the performance of _Les Misérables_ had been a resounding success. Ms. Henley however seemed rather deep in her own thoughts, for she didn't acknowledge Jennifer's presence until the blonde stood right in front of her.

"Oh, hi, Jennifer. You are the last person I expected to be here," she said absentmindedly and rummaged around in the desk's drawer for some papers. "Here you go."

"I have to write lines?" JJ asked, a hint of offence in her voice.

"I'm sorry, dear, but I don't make the rules. I'm just here to enforce them," Ms. Henley answered, displeasure written all over her face.

JJ nodded and smiled apologetically, having an all-new understanding for what the poor woman must have endured at the hands of Mrs. Simmons while growing up. It must have been nothing short of a nightmare. It was only then that it occurred to her that maybe this was the principal's way of punishing not only the misbehaved, but also her own daughter; there always seemed to be a kind of tension floating in the air whenever she saw the two of them together. JJ sighed and walked to the closest empty seat, ignoring the obscene gesture Malcolm made at her.

She took out her pencil case and reluctantly started to write ' _I'm not allowed to leave campus during lessons'_ repeatedly until her hand hurt. JJ worked precisely and steadily, and she had filled the five pages in no time. She startled when she felt a hand grasping her shoulder, but relaxed after looking up and being met with kind green eyes.

"Honey, that's more than enough." Ms. Henley said, softly squeezing her shoulder a little. JJ looked around, everyone else had left by now, and she was alone with Ms. Henley.

"Oh, I'm sorry Ms. Henley, I didn't notice the time... I hope you're not running late because of me."

"No darling, don't worry. Go ahead and pack your things, you're free to go. I think I will be staying here a little while longer to grade some papers anyway... No rest for the wicked, is there?" The older woman sighed.

JJ examined her closely, noting the saggy eyes, the drooping corners of her mouth, and the lips pressed tightly together. Ms. Henley was just an echo of her former optimistic self.


	32. Unexpected Visits

"Mother."

Sandy Jareau stared at her prodigal son for several moments, with the detached scrutiny of a judge contemplating the defendant. At first glance, he looked no different than the last time she had seen him; it was only when he attempted a smile that she detected the fine lines around the corners of his mouth and eyes, which were discordant with his overall boyish appearance.

"Aren't you going to let me in?" the young man asked with his usual coy smile.

"Jeff I..." the mother of three started, but then her words literally got stuck in her throat, and her gray-green eyes filled with tears as she pulled her oldest child into a hurried hug, too used to not having him around to allow herself to make the contact last longer.

"How have you been? Where have you been?" she whispered as she reluctantly let go of him. "Years we didn't hear anything from you..."

"I was merely respecting my father's wishes," Jeff said, and even though the smile never left his face, his eyes hardened.

"Come in, dear. Can I offer you something?" Sandy Jareau asked helplessly.

He did as he was told, and then he paced up and down the living room with the restlessness of a hunted animal. She felt her chest constrict painfully at the pitiful sight he offered and that her motherly love had caused her to overlook earlier. His worn out clothes, barely being held together by a belt and a couple of buttons, were screaming for a round in the washing machine, and he was reeking of alcohol and sweat. Sandy cast her eyes down when she couldn't endure to look at him any longer, but even his shoes seemed to have seen better days, and so she instantly redirected her gaze to his beloved face. Jeff stopped his erratic movements and let his body fall down heavily on the family sofa.

"Everything looks exactly the same," he muttered to himself. "A cup of tea would be nice," he then answered his mother's previous question, turning to her with a blank face.

Sandy chuckled nervously. "The usual tea darling?"

Jeff clicked his tongue with impatience. "Yes please."

After his mother had left for the kitchen, the young man got up and this time, his eyes wandered around the room with precision. His gaze shifted from the bookshelf to the pictures above the fireplace, noticing that some photos had been added, others removed. It filled his heart with bitterness to see all of the remaining ones were of his grandparents, parents or his younger sisters; there wasn't a single clue that once there had been three children living in the house. His parents seemed to have turned the space into some sort of a shrine devoted solely to the memory of their lost daughter, as there was at least one photo for every year of her life, ranging from newborn baby to young adolescent. He snickered slightly as he spotted one that showed both girls together, the younger one missing her front teeth, while the older girl's gaze rested on her little sister displaying the indulgent, condescending smile of an older sibling. Despite the slight pangs of jealousy hitting his stomach, he had to admit that Jen looked beyond adorable with her toothless smile and the two blonde pigtails tied together with numerous, multicolored scrunchies. However, her outfit consisted of various garments in flashy colors that seemed to have been thrown together by accident, and Jeff wrinkled his nose in disgust at this display of bad taste. Jennifer looked like a circus clown, if _he_ had a daughter he would never allow her to run around like that, undoubtedly making her a subject of ridicule to her peers.

"Mom, Emily's coming over to help me with math, is that okay?"

He turned around, startled. A young blonde was staring at him, an expression of utter astonishment on her face. The heavy book she had been carrying fell on the floor with a loud thump and she quickly bent down to pick it up. As she did, her hair fell over her face, and he could see the skin at the roots of her hair turning scarlet red.

"Jennifer. Would it sound too cliché if I told you how much you've grown?" he asked with false politeness and made a quick bow to her after it dawned on him which one of his sisters was actually pictured in most of the photographs; it wasn't Jackie after all.

The girl held the book in front of her chest like a shield and vacillated before she spoke with a trembling voice.

"Jeff?"

"Correct. A hundred points for you, little sister," he said mockingly.

* * *

Emily had trouble holding her head straight, the bright colors in which she had decorated her room were starting to overwhelm her, and her only desire right now was to crawl under the covers of her bed with a certain blonde and snuggle up against her, but she hadn't seen JJ since the blonde had been to detention. Much to her dismay, Elizabeth had arrived from England the day before, and the continuous tension between them strained their mother-daughter relationship even further.

"Emily, I'm talking to you."

The younger brunette turned around with a frown.

"I thought that granting you the independence you always sought after would make you more responsible, but clearly, I was wrong. It seems like the older you get, the more supervision you need, and I don't want to wait until I get a call from someone telling me to retrieve your body before I take action."

Emily's heart sank. Up to this point, her mother's words had been vague, and she could only guess what had prompted her to book a plane ticket on such short notice. Sure, Emily's birthday was soon, but if the teen was certain of something, it was the fact that there was no room for sentimentalism in the ambassador's life, hence she never did something without having a good reason.

"What are you saying, mother?" she inquired, already squirming at the response that was about to come.

"Emily, I have been very patient, lenient even, and I've condoned most of your whims, but letting you stay here was a terrible idea. We had an agreement, a very simple one. I would provide for you until you graduate from college, and in exchange you would focus on your studies, and solely on your studies. It seems to me you are not holding up your end of the bargain," Elizabeth said, making Emily inhale sharply.

"Letting me stay? Mother, you left me no choice. It was either this or boarding school, you made yourself very clear about that. And as for my suspension-"

"Which was, of course, completely unjustified and arbitrary," Elizabeth interjected sourly.

"As a matter of fact, yes it was," Emily snapped, which only irritated Ambassador Prentiss further.

"I don't wish to hear your excuses, Emily. Mrs. Simmons is a reasonable woman, I just spoke to her."

Emily glared at her. How much and _what_ exactly had that old hag told her mother?

"What, has the cat suddenly got your tongue?"

"No ma'am," Emily replied in a subdued tone. _"Please make her not know,"_ she silently begged. She had a feeling Elizabeth would have dragged her to the airport by now if she knew the details about her punishment, and so she relaxed just enough to breathe steadily again.

"Well?" Elizabeth's strident tone made Emily jump.

"I let you down, and I'm sorry," she said through gritted teeth, knowing and apology, no matter how insincere, was the only way to avert further damage.

The ambassador nodded. "Thank you. Now, start packing your things."

"What?!"

"I'm taking you back to Europe with me," Elizabeth said, and her eyes fell onto the photograph on Emily's night table. As the ambassador slowly turned her head around to throw a scrutinizing, almost disapproving glance at her daughter, the iron mask she presented to the world faltered for a couple of seconds.

_"_ _Oh my God, she knows,"_ Emily realized, immediately breaking out in a cold sweat.

Elizabeth continued. "At Cheltenham this wouldn't have happened, which is why I have talked to the principal. You will have to take an admission test but seeing your grades from your last report card I'll say you'll pass with flying colors."

All color drained from Emily's cheeks. Slowly, the implications of her mother's 'surprise' visit penetrated her semblant stoicism, and her body began to shake.

"You can't do that."

"Of course I can, I am your mother and you have proven more than once that you're not capable of making responsible adult decisions."

"Please," Emily whispered, reaching for the hem of Elizabeth's blouse and pulling slightly at it, "Please mother, I have never begged you for anything, not for a Barbie doll when you and dad wouldn't buy me one, neither for a bigger allowance when you claimed twenty dollars a month was enough, nor did I the time I wanted to buy concert tickets to see my favorite band... But I beg of you now, please, _please_ do not make me leave again..."  
"For heaven's sake child, stop crying," Elizabeth said uncomfortably. "You're acting as if I was about to hand you over to an executioner... It's a nice school, you will have the opportunity to make new friends there. And please stop pulling my blouse, it was expensive."


End file.
